The Bac Hung Hai irrigation system was built in 1958 to stretch 230 km long.
Pumping stations and dikes were built along the system to serve irrigation and drainage needs for the capital city, as well as the two neighboring provinces of Bac Ninh and Hung Yen. The system also helps to irrigate the fields of nearby Hai Duong Province.
At the time of construction, Bac Hung Hai was the largest irrigation project in the northern region, with hundreds of canals large and small channeling water from the Red River and Thai Binh River to irrigate most of the northern delta region.
A conduit carrying domestic and industrial wastewater (the blackish liquid) into the main Bac Hung Hai stream in Van Giang District, Hung Yen Province. Hundreds of discharge points like this have polluted, and are still continuing to pollute the irrigation system.
During a conference assessing the results of environmental pollution treatment initiatives for the Bac Hung Hai irrigation system on May 14, leaders from the provinces of Hai Duong, Hung Yen, and Bac Ninh stated that the major source of pollution is Hanoi’s urban and industrial areas. They urged capital city authorities to address the issue with more commitment and determination.
A drainage sluice gate at the Hanoi - Dai Tu Industrial Zone of Hanoi flows into the Cau Bay River, which is part of the Bac Hung Hai irrigation system.
In addition to this channel collecting wastewater discharged from the industrial area, there are hundreds of other channels carrying untreated domestic wastewater. The thick black liquid flows slowly, almost stagnant. These bodies of water emit foul odors and show no signs of life.
Along the main Bac Hung Hai irrigation system, hundreds of small manufacturing facilities dump their waste directly into the water.
In March, Hung Yen Province tested 96 water samples taken from the system, and 84 of them exceeded environmental standards, mainly due to organic substances and microorganisms such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), ammonium cation (NH4), and Coliform bacteria.
The photo above shows a section of the system in Nhu Quynh Town, Van Lam District of Hung Yen Province filled with garbage from local businesses.
Nhu Quynh pumping station draws water from the Bac Hung Hai system to irrigate the fields in Bac Ninh Province.
Various types of waste flowing downstream have forced the operating unit to install an automatic trash collection system at the water intake.
Trash accumulates into piles this large every one or two months and is then moved elsewhere to be dealt with later.
A team of experts from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment survey water quality in the Nhu Quynh pump station area.
The water at the Nhu Quynh station is pitch black. The pump operator acknowledged the water is polluted and not safe. But still, the water is needed and used for irrigation purposes for Bac Ninh Province.
Tran Tuan Ngoc, head of the Department of National Remote Sensing at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, stated that along with monitoring results, the department will use data directly from the Vnredsat-1, the first optical Earth observing satellite of Vietnam. It will also utilize Spot 6, an Earth observation satellite operated by Airbus Defense and Space, to identify areas with high pollution emissions and propose supervisory measures to relevant authorities.
In early March, water extracted from the Bac Hung Hai system to irrigate rice fields in Yen My District, Hung Yen Province for the summer crop was pitch black and full of chemical foam.
Fish died en masse in a section of the Thai Binh River at the outlet of the Bac Hung Hai system in Hai Duong City last April.
The cause was low oxygen levels and a mercury content 1.67 times above the legal limit.
Standing next to an abandoned boat in Hai Phong City at the outlet of the Thai Binh River, Vu Van Ke, 69, said there have been no fish in these waters for at least three years.
"My family's fish in the Thai Binh River near the outlet of the Bac Hung Hai system also died en masse in April," he said.
According to the national environmental report for 2016-2020, the Bac Hung Hai irrigation system is the most polluted water body in the Red River - Thai Binh River basin. Some 90% of its monitoring points re inundated with organic substances, nutrients, and microorganisms exceeding the regulatory standards.
