Nguyen Van Tuoi, vice chairman of Binh Chanh district, told the Daily on Tuesday the air polluters were temporarily suspended from producing mechanical products, chemicals, waxing cloth, plating iron products and textile.

"Many of the enterprises discharging harmful industrial smoke are operating at the industrial parks of Le Minh Xuan, Tan Phu Trung and Hiep Phuoc". (Photo: SGT)

The suspended companies include Nguyen Hoang Sang, Nguyen Minh Hoang, Thanh Hien and Quang Hong among others. Tuoi said the enterprises would be allowed to resume production if they build proper systems for treating toxic industrial smoke.

He also said that many of the 121 companies at Le Minh Xuan Industrial Park for Minor Handicrafts had yet to report to district authorities on construction of proper systems for treating industrial smoke and wastewater.

"The district will continue inspections and apply strong measures over the air polluters at this industrial park," Tuoi stressed.

According to the HCMC Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (Hepza), 80 enterprises around the city's industrial parks have yet to build facilities to treat industrial smoke.

"Many of the enterprises discharging harmful industrial smoke are operating at the industrial parks of Le Minh Xuan, Tan Phu Trung and Hiep Phuoc," Pham Thanh Truc, head of Hepza's Office of Environment Protection, told the Daily on Tuesday.

Truc also said that this quarter Hepza would inspect all enterprises discharging toxic smoke from the city's industrial parks and export processing zones.