The environmental pollution in localities where there is the cassava starch processing industry, including Hoai Hao Commune, Hoai Nhon District has been problematic in the past few years.
The project of applying cleaner production technology in cassava starch processing industry has helped improve the production and reduce the environmental pollution.
Urgent matters in cassava starch processing industry
Statistics showed that Hoai Hao has 196 households producing the cassava starch. About 800 tons of cassava starch is produced each day, providing for businesses in Binh Dinh and other provinces.
The cassava starch processing industry also contributes to improve the people’s living standard and creates job for nearly 1,500 local people.
However, due to the waste, the cassava starch processing industry has caused the environmental pollution, badly affecting the agricultural production.
The great amount of waste has directly influenced on the aquaculture, polluting the water supply and land.
Initial results
Binh Dinh Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the program on Strengthening Environmental Management and Land Administration (SEMLA) decided to carry out the project of applying cleaner technology in cassava starch processing industry in Hoai Hao Commune in November, 2007.
It aims to treat waste, make the production more effective, and reduce waste during the production. This is called the “cleaner production”.
The project made changes in not only technologies but awareness and management. As planned, it would be conducted in other localities in Binh Dinh, said Nguyen Mong Hung, who is in charge of SEMLA Office in Binh Dinh.
Experts analyzed different steps in the manufacturing process to identify reasons causing the environmental pollution. Also, they opened training courses for households participating in the project.
Depending on problems of each household, experts proposed suitable solutions for the cleaner production.
After six months, the project has gained encouraging results. It not only stabilizes the production but considerably reduces the environmental pollution.
The delegation of national SEMLA program headed by Mr. Niels Juul Birsch visited Hoai Hao Commune to check the results. They highly appreciated the conduction of project.
The project needed to be carried out in other localities where there is the cassava starch processing industry, said Niels Juul Birsch.
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