Industrial zones arise, farmers lose land to cultivate
All the industrial zones developers promise to compensate farmers who give land to them. However, in fact, most farmers lose their land and jobs and then become unemployed. This is also a big waste of agricultural land, especially when 50% of the industrial zone’s land is not used, while the environment has been seriously polluted.
According to a recent report of the Department of Natural resources and Environment, most industrial zones are situated in major agricultural areas like The Red River Delta and The Mekong River Delta. 270,000 hectares of agricultural land have been replaced by industrial zones. Thousands of farmers have been put into troubles.
Thanh Loc industrial zone in Kien Giang, which is about 250 hectares, has been fallow for four years already because the investor has been ignoring it. “The land is waste but cannot be used for keeping fish since it has been in industrial zone planning”, said Le Van Nhon – a resident in Thanh Loc Commune. Mr. Dinh Van Binh, Chairman of Thanh Loc Commune’s People Committee complained that they also didn’t dare to build the road there because of the industrial zone planning. The legitimate rights of the residents are violated.
Bui Thi Om, a poor resident who lives in the resettlement area in Tan Huong Industrial Zone (Tien Giang) said: “My family’s life has been really hard since the day we moved in the resettlement area. We have no more land to cultivate but the compensating money has already run out. Now my daughter has to work as a maid while my son fails to find a job in the industrial zone.”
“My family had 4,000 square meters of land in An Hiep Industrial Zone and got 360 million dongs for compensation. The money is too little to buy a new house”, said Tran Thi Tu, a resident in An Hiep Commune, Chau Thanh District. Nguyen Thanh Guom, another resident in An Hiep Commune complained that he could only do unstable jobs since he gave his land to An Hiep Industrial Zone.
Industrial zones pollute the environment
Tien Giang Province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment stated that one of the factors that made Tien River polluted, was the industrial zones here. It was not until ten years after My Tho and Trung An Industrial Zone came into operation that the waste water treatment system was built.
Wastewater (about 3,500 cubic meters a day) used to be poured straight into Tien River during that time. The amount of polluted water has recently risen from 30% to 60%, which made thousands of fish die. As a result, many fish breeders have gone bankrupt.
The environment problem caused by industrial zones is also serious in Can Tho City. Residents in Phuoc Thoi Precint, O Mon District have had to put up with the polluted water for ten years. It’s the wastewater eliminated from Tra Noc Industrial Zone and other factories that polluted the water. The dirty and stinking wastewater not only made the residents suffer but also killed the aquatic animals. Some species of fish have disappeared. Many farmers specializing in growing star apples in Chau Thanh District stated that almost all star apple trees died because of polluted water. The farmers lost 300 hectares of star apple trees in Chau Thanh District in 2010.
NN
(MONRE)