Hanoi (VNA) - Hanoi authorities have planned to move pollutingfacilities from the inner city, however, the process has been delayed, withmany companies reluctant to give up their land to authorities andrelocate, Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported.

According to plans, polluting facilities’ land in the inner citywill be reused for social utilities. As many as 117 facilities in 12 districtsin the city are on the list for urgent relocation by 2020. However, up tonow, only 32 facilities have compiled plans to move.

According to Hai Ba Trung district’s People’s Committee,authorities asked the Kim Dong Xuan Textile Factory on Minh Khai Street of VinhTuy Ward to move following outrage over smoke and cotton dust released tonearby residential quarters. A new factory has been built, however, the companystill kept a production line for promotion purposes, with the factorycontinuing to operate and pollute. The city lacks measures to force thesefactories to move.

Lam Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of Hai Ba Trung district’s People’sCommittee, said that it was difficult to make enterprises voluntarily hand overland and move. City authorities should assign agencies to force companies torelocate when they have a new location and support to move.

To accelerate the process, the city must issue an administrativedecision to force delaying companies like Kim Dong Xuan Textile Company to mapout relocation plans or take coercive measures, Tuan said.

While the city has yet to penalise any violating companies, Hai BaTrung district People’s Committee still conducts regular inspections onenvironmental protection efforts.

To issue a penalty or cease the companies’ operation, signaturesfrom authorised agencies must be collected. Therefore, punishment is difficultto mete out, Tuan said.

Mai Trong Thai, head of the Environmental Division under Hanoi’sDepartment of Natural Resources and Environment, said that preparations forland funds to support companies dictate the speed of relocation.

Relocation cannot be completed over a short period of time. Thecity aims to finish the process by 2020, Thai said.

According to Nguyen Nguyen Quan, head of the Urban Division underHanoi’s People’s Council, the relocation process has been delayed for variousreasons.

Authorised agencies haven’t paid due attention to the relocationand lack mechanisms from the central to local levels to encourage companies tomove out. They are also struggling with  finding a balance betweenbenefits of the companies and those of the public, he said.

The city needs to initiate specific mechanisms and figure out openadministrative procedures to encourage companies to relocate, he said.-VNA