Polluting factories must be moved out of center Ha Noi by 2025

Illustration photo

So far, the city has crafted and finalized the Housing development program by 2025 with a vision towards 2045. 

Director of the Department of Construction Vo Nguyen Phong revealed that in the 2021-2025 period, the city will promote housing development and urban areas and prioritize social housing construction projects for workers and laborers at industrial parks and high-tech zones. 

In addition, the city will restore, re-build, and convert old residential buildings into modern urban areas. Polluting factories will be relocated out of residential areas.

The Ha Noi municipal People’s Committee took active steps to remove inappropriately industrial sites out of residential areas in accordance with the PM’s Decision 64/2003/QD-TTg, dated April 22, 2003 approving the plan for thoroughly handling establishments which cause serious environmental pollution. 

However, relocations are at a standstill due to problems securing capital for relocation and workers’ preference of near working distance, said Vice Chairman of the Ha Noi People’s Committee Nguyen Trong Dong.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment composed a list of 90 polluting industrial sites for relocation which will be submitted to the People’s Council for approval.

About 60% of respondents said their living space was affected by the operation of factories, while 80.5% said they were affected by toxic air pollution, according to a survey by the People’s Participation Workg Group (PPWP). Up to 98.49% of interviewees supported Ha Noi’s decision to move polluting factories from residential areas. 

Previously, under a plan approved in 2016, 117 facilities must be relocated from 12 inner districts by 2020./.

By Kim Anh