For the past half month, the Son Tinh submerged canal, stretching from Truong Quang Trong ward through Tho Phong commune to Le Thuy bridge in Tinh Khe commune, has changed from green to pitch-black. Many sections contain thick, viscous water emitting an unpleasant odor, with dead tilapia floating along the waterway.

Dinh Vang, 70 years old, residing in Phong Nien Ha village, Tho Phong commune, stated that this pollution has recurred for years, particularly in the summer when irrigation water is cut for agricultural production. He noted, "Every harvest season, when the water level drops, the entire canal turns black; even near the sea, the water remains dark."

"Fish die frequently, and the land is affected. Residents are most concerned about the pollution of well water near the canal," he added.

The canal changes color to black in the fields of Phong Nien Ha village, Tho Phong commune, Quang Ngai. Photo: Pham Linh

According to Le Van, a local resident, people once used the canal for fishing and duck farming. However, over a decade of continuous pollution has caused these activities to disappear. "For three years, no one has dared to raise ducks on the canal. No one even dares to catch fish from the canal to feed ducks, fearing they will die," Van said.

The Son Tinh submerged canal is part of the Thach Nham irrigation system, supplying water to numerous rice fields in the area. Residents believe that pollution began to intensify about 20 years ago, coinciding with the operation of the Tinh An Tay industrial cluster.

A survey by the Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee indicates that in addition to the Tinh An Tay industrial cluster, the canal also flows through Tinh Phong industrial park and VSIP Quang Ngai. Pollution sources include industrial wastewater, household waste, animal carcasses, and pesticide packaging.

Thick waste at Kenh bridge, Quyet Thang village, Truong Quang Trong ward, about 2 km downstream from Tinh An Tay industrial cluster. Photo: Pham Linh

The Tinh An Tay industrial cluster currently hosts about 15 businesses, many of which produce paper, plastic, and food, generating wastewater. However, it lacks a centralized wastewater treatment system as required by the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection.

Quang Ngai province previously allocated 10 billion VND to construct a wastewater treatment system for this industrial cluster. Still, the project has not been implemented due to various challenges concerning planning, discharge volume, and plans to relocate the industrial cluster away from the central area.

Truong Cong Hoa, Chairman of the Tho Phong Commune People's Committee, stated that following residents' complaints, authorities have continued to collect water samples for testing. Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, Chairwoman of the Truong Quang Trong Ward People's Committee, mentioned that the locality is establishing an inter-agency inspection team to review environmental compliance among businesses.

Dead fish on the Son Tinh submerged canal, on 20/4. Photo: Pham Linh

According to a leader from the Quang Ngai Provincial Environmental Protection Sub-department, due to the incomplete centralized wastewater treatment system, the province has stopped attracting new investment to the Tinh An Tay industrial cluster and is strengthening supervision of existing businesses.

From 2014 to the present, Quang Ngai authorities have fined businesses in this industrial cluster in over 10 environmental violation cases, totaling hundreds of millions of VND. In 2024, one business was fined 150 million VND for discharging wastewater with total cyanide levels exceeding standards by more than 21 times.

Pham Linh