Social News 27/10 Experts propose stricter measures to ease traffic jams Transport experts proposed different measures to reduce traffic jams in Ha Noi during a conference held on Thursday by the municipal Department of Transport and the Ha Noi Police. Colonel Dao Thanh Hai, deputy director of the Ha Noi Police, said that reasons for traffic jams in the city, including on main roads such as Nguyen Trai-Tran Phu in Ha Dong Town, Xuan Thuy-Cau Giay in Cau Giay District, Le Van Luong-To Huu in Nam Tu Liem District were due to fences of construction sites narrowing roads. Hai said that the city had 11 construction sites with 27 areas surrounded by fences. In some intersections including Khuat Duy Tien-Nguyen Xien and Cau Giay-Xuan Thuy, some parts of the roads were only four metres in width, said Hai. Tran Dang Hai, chief inspector of the Ha Noi Department of Transport, said that since the middle of September the department had checked all construction sites. Many sites violated regulations on area, building period and environmental hygiene. The inspectors gave administrative fines to violators. For instance, the Nhon-Ha Noi Railway and Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway projects were fined a total of VND79 million (US$3,500). Chief inspector Hai said that the La Thanh Railway Station project in Hoang Cau-La Thanh Dike intersection in Dong Da District was fined several times, but still repeated its violation causing traffic jams. Hai temporarily stopped construction work on the project. Director of the Ha Noi Department of Transport Vu Van Vien agreed with the measures implemented by police and transport inspectors. Vien asked transport inspectors to urge construction sites to speed up their work and clear their fences after the construction work was finished. Traffic police should give strict punishments to three-wheel overloaded vehicles, he said. Buses and taxis should run in some regulated hours on some main roads to reduce the overcrowding on the roads, he said. Colonel Dao Vinh Thang, head of the Traffic Police Division under the city police, proposed to install more traffic lights and assign more youth volunteers to help traffic police during peak hours.  Malaysia issue new regulation for overseas workers Malaysia's Immigration Department has informed the management board of Vietnamese workers in Malaysia that employers have to be responsible for receiving overseas workers in that country. According to the Department of Overseas Labour under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the notice said that from October 1, the duration for employers to receive their employees will be limited to six hours instead of 24, at two Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2). Employers have to be at the airport to receive their employees and it should not be done through a broker firm, it said. The notice also said that if employers did not pick up labourers within six hours of them entering Malaysia, they would be sent back to their countries. To ensure the legitimate rights and interests of workers, the Department of Overseas Labour has asked enterprises which are involved in sending workers for employment to Malaysia to contact the broker firm and employers to coordinate the flight arrival time at KLIA (or KLIA2) to receive Vietnamese workers as required by the Malaysian side. The department also urged enterprises to review the contents of contracts to make it relevant with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Viet Nam and Malaysia in August. Under the MoU, the new form of labour contract regulates the responsibility of Malaysian employers, broker firms, Vietnamese workers and enterprises as well as regulations on salary and working hours. Specifically, the new labour contract stipulates that workers have the right to retain their passports and personal documents. Statistics from the MoLISA showed that Viet Nam has sent 220,000 workers to Malaysia since 2002 after the two countries signed a MoU on labour co-operation. Antibiotic awareness week to begin on November 16 An antibiotic awareness week will be launched nation-wide for the first time on November 16 in an effort to prevent antimicrobial resistance and promote reasonable use of the drug. "Antimicrobial resistance is a multidimensional threat to human survival, public health, trade and the economy and the overall sustainable development of Viet Nam," Vice Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen said at a conference today. The event, held by the health ministry, aims to mobilise the Party, Government and relevant authorities to facilitate programmes for antimicrobial resistance prevention and to promote awareness and measures to prevent overuse of drugs in health, agriculture and breeding. During the week, a communication campaign will be promoted with a focus on drug resistance prevention and bacterial contamination control at hospitals and in the community. A series of activities, including seminars, a meeting and a parade, will be organised in the country's major cities such as Ha Noi, HCM City, Can Tho, Hue and Da Nang. The ministry also plans to collect 1 million signatures to support the commitment to preventing antimicrobial resistance in Viet Nam.  Ha Noi elevated railway project site barriers removed  The Nhon – Ha Noi elevated railway project's management board said yesterday they had removed barriers at some construction sites to reduce problems during peak traffic hours. The barriers at the section near Mai Dich flyover on Ho Tung Mau Road and at the section in front of the Academy of Journalism and Communication on Xuan Thuy Road have been removed. The barriers had been set up as a safety measure, but they took up a considerable part of the roads, affecting traffic movement, police said. The removal of the barriers came several days after a meeting between the Ha Noi department of transport, Ha Noi Police and relevant agencies on measures to reduce traffic jams in the city. At the meeting, Deputy Chairman of Ha Noi People's Committee Nguyen Quoc Hung asked competent agencies to stop work on projects where contractors were violating regulations. Tran Dang Hai, chief inspector of the municipal department of transport, said the department had checked all barriers at construction sites in the city and had found violation of regulations regarding duration of construction and environment hygiene in many areas. For instance, the Nhon-Ha Noi Railway and Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway projects were fined a total of VND79 million (US$3,500). The inspectors also imposed administrative fines of VND29 million (US$1,300) on violators of Thanh Xuan, Trung Hoa underground tunnel regulations. Jogging event held to observe World Psoriasis Day There are an estimated more than one million people suffering from psoriasis in Viet Nam, and yet, awareness of the disease remains low and patients do not receive proper treatment. This information was released yesterday morning at a jogging event held at Thong Nhat Park, Le Duan Street, Ha Noi, to observe World Psoriasis Day (October 29). Hundreds of people with psoriasis and their supporters participated in the event, running along the edge of Bay Mau Lake for 2.5km in Thong Nhat Park to call for taking action and to raise funds for psoriasis patients. World Psoriasis Day is an annual global event specially organised with the aim of giving voice to more than 125 million patients across the world and raising awareness in the community, as well as providing patients with better healthcare. The jogging event was co-organised by the Embassy of Denmark, the Vietnamese Society of Dermatology and Venereology, Vi?t Nam Psoriasis Patients and National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology, with sponsorship by LEO Pharma Viet Nam. This was the first time that an outdoor event was held in Viet Nam in reply to the WHO Psoriasis Resolution (approved in May 2014), calling for action against psoriasis, advocacy efforts to raise awareness about the disease and fighting the stigma suffered by those with psoriasis. In the opening remarks, Danish Ambassador Charlotte Laursen said too many psoriasis patients suffered needlessly due to incorrect or delayed diagnosis, inadequate treatment and insufficient access to care. "More than anything, they sometimes encounter public rejection because of the misunderstandings surrounding the disease," Laursen said, adding that the theme on World Psoriasis Day 2015 was "hope – action – change". "I do hope this meaningful event will be a good start for many other supporting events of follow," Laursen said. Chairman of the Vietnamese Society of Dermatology and Venereology Tran Hau Khang said psoriasis was a non-communicable disease, and that everyone should help psoriasis patients who suffer social and work-related stigma and discrimination. Tran Hong Truong, a representative of Viet Nam Psoriasis Patients, said anyone could suffer from psoriasis, which often brought psychological problems and an economic burden for the patients. "Many psoriasis patients lose their jobs and family, and even don't have access to effective treatment methods," Truong said. Truong said many effective psoriasis medicines were not included in health insurance, and so many patients could not afford the expensive drugs. Vietnamese psoriasis patients hoped that the Vietnamese government and other concerned authorities would pursue multilateral efforts to provide better access to treatment and healthcare education towards fighting psoriasis, Truong said.  Vinh Phuc receives over US$2 million in aid from NGOs The northern province of Vinh Phuc has attracted 23 humanitarian programmes and projects worth more than US$2 million from foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) so far this year. At present 13 NGOs, hailing from the US, the Republic of Korea (RoK), France and Japan are running projects on improving education and health care, providing support for disadvantaged children and disabled people, preserving rare animals and protecting the environment in Vinh Phuc. The RoK’s PAMWF organisation has been active in the province since December 2013. Since the beginning of this year, the organisation has spent nearly VND750 million (US$34,000) to buy 53 wheelchairs, 100 bicycles, and give 45 scholarships to local disabled students. It has also provided free medical check-ups for elderly people. Meanwhile, the US Maryknoll organisation donated US$32,000 to continue a project of improving capacity for staff of the provincial Blind Association and equipping local blind women with life skills. Gret, a French non-governmental organisation, helps improve the living conditions of migrant female labourers in Vinh Yen city by improving their professional skills and awareness of their rights. The French NGO is also assisting with efforts to improve the environment in rural areas, protect water resources and reduce the overload in local dumping sites. Vinh Phuc province hopes to call for more aid in the form of long-term projects in vocational training, community-based health care, and environmental pollution. Hanoi targets to raise health insurance coverage The capital of Hanoi is working to ensure at least 1,000 people in each communal-level administrative unit are covered by health insurance by November 30 this year. Particularly, the communes which met standards of new-style rural building will have least 1,500 people covered by health insurance each. Currently, 5.17 million city dwellers have their health insured, equal to 72.8% of the capital’s population. The figure is still below the 2015 quota of 77.2% assigned by the Prime Minister. The figure of 85% is allocated for 2020. To reach the goal, the city has taken a number of measures, focusing on raising public awareness, streamlining administrative procedures regarding the issuance of health insurance cards, and improving medical check-ups at health facilities providing services for the insured. In the first ten months of this year, the city’s health insurance fund paid VND2.13 trillion (US$97 million) for medical treatments and check-ups for about 4 million people.  More than 1,100 international students study in Vietnam There are over 1,100 international students currently studying, doing their internships, and joining academic exchange programs in Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Education and Training. They are doing so at 23 universities that run exchange and advanced programs together with their international partners, the ministry said. Talking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga said previously there was a number of international students coming to Vietnam to study, mainly from Laos, Cambodia, China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, but the count was not high. According to the official, international students in Vietnam are more diverse at the moment, with many coming from the European Union and North America. One important reason for the surge is that many universities have offered advanced training programs taught entirely in English, which helps international students find it more favorable to choose the Southeast Asian country as their academic destination, Deputy Minister Ga said. Number of foreign visitors to Vietnam increases Foreign visitors will continue to increase by this year end and beyond partly due to the positive visa policy, said an official of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). Nguyen Van Tuan, head of the VNAT, said that after 13 consecutive months of a drop in the numbers, the total number of foreign tourists recovered from July this year. The figure gained a year-on-year surge of 5.1% to 593,566 foreign tourists in July, of 7.5% to 664,985 in August, and 8.3% to 626,324 in September. That meant the industry had overcome difficulties over the past but it could not reach its target on increasing the number of foreign visitors to eight million for this year, he said. The recovery in the number over the past was mainly due to positive effects of visa exemption for five western European countries on the market. After the visa exemption, visitors from the United Kingdom increased by 16%, from Italy by 25%, and from Germany by 15%. Spanish visitors went up by 9%, and visitors from France rose by 8% when compared to the numbers before the visa exemption. The growth of visitors from western European supported the growth of foreign visitors to Vietnam while visitors from China, the largest tourist market of Vietnam, dropped. By this year-end, the domestic tourism industry expected the growth to continue because those months are part of the tourist season, Tuan said. If the recovery continues by this year end, Vietnam will receive 7.8 million foreign visitors for this whole year, a figure similar to 2014. To retain the growth by this year-end and beyond, the administration has suggested to the government that they give visa exemption to visitors from 19 key tourism markets of Vietnam, especially European countries. The government should increase the number of days of visa exemption against the current 15 under the law on entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam to attract more foreign visitors because they often undertake long journeys, he said. Meanwhile, the administration will create favourable conditions for foreign film crews visiting Vietnam to shoot for their films. For instance, a Warner Bros film crew visited to a cave in Vietnamese famous cave complex Phong Nha – Ke Bang, as they scouted locations for a film about Peter Pan. Tuan said the creation of encouraging conditions for foreign film crews of large global film production houses to shoot in Vietnam will be the best and fastest way to bring the nation to foreign travellers. In early 2016, the administration will ask the government to grant an extension on visa exemptions for visitors of five western European countries, Tuan said. That will ensure that tourist companies make plans on promotion and advertisement in the long-term. The administration will co-operate with partners in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia to develop tourism products connecting Phu Quoc Island to tourist spots in Cambodia and Thailand, and tours from the north eastern region of Thailand to Laos and Vietnam.  Sexual abuse victims receive social integration support A three-year project on building policies and helping female victims of sexual abuse integrate into society has yielded encouraging outcomes, as heard during a conference held in Hanoi on October 26. The initiative has established a pilot integration model for victims while enhancing personnel’s relevant knowledge, skills and management capacity. Consultation and legal services, vocational training courses and job offers were provided to assist the women to improve livelihoods with higher incomes. Seventy-two out of 82 women taking part in vocational training courses, such as make-up application, hairdressing, graphic design and hotel hospitality, have completed their instructions. Of them, 42 have followed the careers and are making up to 5 million VND (224 USD) per month. Meanwhile, the project launched a support programme for 40 start-up models, which equipped participants with the necessary financial skills and basic equipment to start their own business. Major drawbacks were also highlighted at the conference, including services separated from local welfare programmes and relevant support policies, hence the restricted resources and social impact. Some of the trainees had limited business experience, skills and learning capacity, leading to ineffective loan use, while training failed to cater to diverse learner demand and abilities. Participants proposed completing and replicating the model nationwide through suitable policies as well as boosting the competency of project personnel and volunteers. The project was launched in Hanoi in May 2013 by Plan International Vietnam, the Department of Social Evils Prevention under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Hanoi’s social evils prevention department, together with three non-govermental organisations LIGHT, CSAGA and REACH. Vietnamese, Norwegian trade unions foster partnership The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) signed a cooperation programme by 2018 at their talks in Hanoi on October 26. The programme will promote negotiations on and the quality of collective labour agreements in selected businesses in Hanoi, and Hung Yen and Bac Ninh provinces. It will also train staff members of local labour confederations and trade unions in developing trade union members. For the rest of 2015, the programme is set to train 50 staff members of provincial and municipal confederations and open five 24-member classes for trade unions. Over recent years, the VGCL and LO have conducted a number of cooperation activities including holding hundreds of workshops and training courses on various topics such as collective labour agreements, gender equality and law dissemination to labourers. Joint surveys informed the VGCL’s formation of proposals on amendments to the labour code and the law on trade unions along with minimum wage suggestions. Notably, the Hanoi Confederation of Labour and the LO-Oslo set up a bilateral partnership. A similar relationship was recently established between the trade unions of Vietnam’s agriculture and rural development sector and Norway’s food industry. UXO impact settlement efforts bolstered in Da Nang city A chapter of the Vietnam Bomb and Mine Action Support Association was set up in central Da Nang city on October 26 to step up efforts in dealing with unexploded ordnance (UXO) consequences in the heavily contaminated locality. The chapter is tasked with popularising the national programme on settling post-war bomb and landmine impacts and calling for assistance to handle bomb and landmine consequences. It will also participate in activities to prevent UXO accidents – particularly in heavily affected areas – and support UXO victims. According to a preliminary survey in 2002, nearly 9,300 communes with 6.6 million hectares of land across Vietnam were contaminated with UXOs, accounting for 21.12 percent of the country’s land area; the central region is the most contaminated. UXOs claimed 42,135 lives and injured 62,163 others from 1975 to 2000. The State has spent tens of millions of USD every year on UXO clearance and providing vocational training to and resettling UXO victims. Tens of millions of USD for Dong Nai environmental clean-up Up to 157 polluting firms in the southern province of Dong Nai have spent more than 1.5 trillion VND (68.1 million USD) on dealing with environmental pollution since 2009, according to the provincial Department of the Environment and Natural Resources. As many as 143 of them have been removed from the list of polluters, said Head of the provincial Environmental Protection Agency Vo Niem Tuong. The remaining are building wastewater and exhaust gas treatment systems. The department still conducts regular supervision and collects samples for pollution testing to prevent possible relapses. Relevant agencies also launched campaigns to raise business awareness of the importance of environmental protection as well as to encourage the adoption of eco-friendly technologies. HCM City grants scholarships to poor students The study promotion society in Ho Chi Minh City presented 744 scholarships to needy students in the city on October 25. The scholarships, worth nearly 2 billion VND (90,000 USD), are to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds overcome difficulties to pursue education. Vice Chairman of the Vietnam study promotion society Luong Ngoc Toan said the scholarships enable poor students to pursue their academic careers and encourage them to make active contributions to the society. The programme has also contributed to the building of a learning society, he added. Over the past 15 years, the municipal study encouragement society granted scholarships worth over 17.3 billion VND (778,500 USD) to 2,175 students across the city. Synchronous planning needed to prevent inundation in Mekong Delta It is necessary for the Mekong Delta, the country’s largest rice granary, to devise long-term and synchronous planning to prevent inundation in light of climate change, experts have suggested. Comprising 12 provinces and one centrally-run city, the delta plays an important role in the national economic growth and food security strategy as it contributes over 50 percent to the country’s food output, 65 percent of seafood and 70 percent of fruits. However, the region is being threatened by environmental change impacts such as rising sea level and saltwater intrusion. The submergence has become more serious in the urban areas of Can Tho city, Vinh Long, Tien Giang, Long An, Dong Thap and An Giang provinces. Scientists predict that a one-meter rise in sea level could let saltwater in 70 percent of the delta’s area. As a result, Vietnam would lose two million hectares of farmland and many coastal localities would be submerged under water. According to a study conducted by Norwegian experts in 2013, the overexploitation of underground water at the Ca Mau peninsula has resulted in land subsidence in the delta. The annual land subsidence rate is about 3 centimetres, 10 times the speed of rising sea level. If this situation continues, the rate could go up to 1-1.3 meters in the next two decades. Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Dao Xuan Hoc said the State should implement synchronous plans from upper to lower levels and vice versa as well as from multi-sectoral to uni-sectoral levels and vice versa. The establishment of an agency in the delta to support the Government to implement and manage regional planning schemes is crucial, he said. He called on separate sectors and localities to strengthen cooperation in land usage planning, technical infrastructure improvements and human resources development along with environmental protection, dengue prevention and climate change adaptation. Binh Thuan to focus on sea sports, leisure tourism The central province of Binh Thuan has identified sea sports and leisure as pillars in the development strategy of its hospitality industry through 2020 with a vision to 2030. Under the development strategy, which was approved by the Government, Binh Thuan is identified as one of Vietnam’s major tourism destinations and a national centre for sea sports and leisure tourism. Binh Thuan’s seaside town Mui Ne has been well-known for its ideal climate conditions for sea sports, especially kitesurfing and windsurfing. An international windsurfing competition took place in Mui Ne in 2011. Speaking at the 20th anniversary of the Binh Thuan Tourism Day, Vice Chairman of the Binh Thuan’s People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Tam said over the past 20 years, tourism has developed rapidly, with hundreds of resorts in seaside town Mui Ne, earning its nickname ‘the capital of resorts’. The number of tourists to the province has increased from only 53,000, including five thousands international visitors in 1999, to over 4 million so far this year, 254,000 of which are international travellers. Tourism revenue has increased from 30.7 billion VND (1.37 million USD) in 1995 to 7.6 billion VND (340 million USD) in 2015, accounting for 7.5 percent of the province’s gross domestic product. The province currently has over 150 operational projects with more than 10,000 rooms and more than 40 local and international travel firms are operating in the province. Work to resume at Da Dang-Da Chomo plant Work will resume at the Da Dang-Da Chomo hydroelectric power plant, a year after there was a collapse in the tunnel after heavy rains in the area. Dang Vu Dung, from the Industry and Trade Department of Lam Dong province, said the government has recently allowed the investor to resume construction of this plant on the condition that the steps taken for the project are consolidated. The tunnel was a part of the development of this plant in the Central Highlands of Lam Dong city. Currently, the provincial officials have completed the inspection of the area outside the tunnel and allowed the investor to resume construction. To restart the project, the investor (Long Hoi company) has to refund VND2.7 billion (US$121,000). This was the amount used to rescue trapped employees inside the tunnel last year.  Last year, after the collapse, more than 200 people were mobilised to rescue 12 employees trapped inside. After the incident, construction was suspended to allow officials to investigate the reasons for the accident and re-examine the project.  With the construction on since 2003, The Da Dang-Da Chomo hydroelectric power plant project has an estimated investment fund of VND474 billion and a designed capacity of 22MW.  New public car policy saves US$22.41 million a year The new regulation on the use of state-own or public automobiles effective September 21 would help Vietnam save VND500 billion (US$22.41 million) a year, according to the Department of Public Asset Management under the Ministry of Finance. Specifically, Decision 32/2015QĐ-TTg has determined automobile number at Government agencies and capped it at only 1-2 automobiles per agency. Vietnam has nearly 40,000 public automobiles excluding those at people armed forces and state owned enterprises, reported the department. The decision has reduced the number by 7,000, saving about VND500 billion in new car purchase and operation and maintenance costs. Vietnam has high rate of COPD patients With high rate of smokers, Vietnam is one of nations having most chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) people in the Asia region and the world. The disease is a big burden for the society. According to the Ministry of Health, the number of hospitalized CODP patients spirals annually with the percentage of 6.7. Of whom, the majority of men have lung cancer relating to COPD. 41 year old man in Ho Chi Minh City's Thu Duc District who has smoked over 20 years lately has had to go to hospital for much cough and breathing problem. Yet he can not stop smoking. COPD is the third leading cause of death after heart problem, cancer and Cerebrovascular accident. Treatment of COPD is costly and in a long time causing more financial burden for patients' families and society. As per the Ministry of Health's figures, there have been some epidemiological studies conducted in certain districts of the country. Initial results showed that the proportion of those who are over 40 is 4.2 percent including7.1 percent for men and 5.2 percent. More people in the North contract the disease than their peers in the South. There are around 2-6 people over 100 population. More COPD patients have seen in wards to treat lung diseases and respiratory in hospitals such as Bach Mai in Hanoi; Medicine University in HCMC, and Cho Ray. Dr. Le Thi Tuyet Lan from the Association for Respiratory, COPD can be preventive but incurable.  The Ministry said that smoking is the most serious cause of the disease accounting for 90 percent.  Additionally, the disease can be caused by contacting with dusts at work with 10 percent. Miners and laborers in foundry, metallurgy workshop,construction, weavers are often exposed to dust at their workplace consequently they are at high risk of contracting the disease . Common signs and symptoms of COPD include: • An ongoing cough or a cough that produces a lot of mucus (often called "smoker's cough") • Shortness of breath, especially with physical activity • Wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe) • Chest tightness Nha Trang greets 80 Russian travel agencies Representatives of 80 biggest Russian travel companies have arrived in Nha Trang city of Khanh Hoa province to join in seminar featuring tourism development potential on October 24- 26. During the seven days, Russian companies will have opportunity to participate in a tourism workshop at Vinpearl Resort, work with Anex partners in Vietnam, research hotel & restaurant system and tourism services for Russian travelers. In the period of 2014- 2015, inbound tourism market from Russia and former Soviet Republics to Vietnam in general and Nha Trang city in particular has faced to difficulties because of the influence of Russia’s economic recession and rouble devaluation, reducing approximately 8 percents for Russian tourists to Vietnam compared to last period.  Site clearance slow in major flood control reservoir project Site clearance in a flood control reservoir project at Khanh Hoi lake park in HCMC’s District 4 is progressing at a crawl due to a lack of funding and a loose coordination among relevant agencies. The HCMC People’s Council found the slower-than-scheduled site clearance at the reservoir when a group of council members inspected the facility on Wednesday. The government of District 4 is the investor of the reservoir, one of the major projects designed to ease chronic flooding in the city. Tran Hoang Quan, chairman of District 4, told a meeting with the supervision group that the 48,000-square-meter reservoir is part of the Khanh Hoi lake park project covering over 150,000 square meters. Compensation and site clearance have been finished for over 76,000 square meters and another 21,500 square meters is being cleared but the district lacks VND300 billion (US$13.46 million) to compensate 94 affected households. The district has yet to take back the remaining 52,700 square meters of land for the project. Quan said the district has worked with the Southern Irrigation Science Research Institute over a pre-feasibility study for the reservoir and plans to break ground in early 2017. To ensure work to start as scheduled, the district proposed the city disburse about VND650 billion (US$29.15 million) to speed up site clearance. At the meeting, the council members said the reservoir has been moving slowly while flooding in the city has worsened. They said resources should be combined to build the reservoir in one phase so that it can produce desired results. Apart from slow site clearance, the reservoir lacks a detailed design and plans for collecting rainwater and discharging it into canals. Therefore, the group urged the district to complete pre-feasibility and feasibility studies and collaborate with relevant agencies in designing and operating rainwater collection and discharge systems for the reservoir. Concerns grow over impact of mining activities Mining and vague regulations are having an adverse impact on residents and the environment across Vietnam. In Lao Cao Province, an estimated 3 million tonnes or rock and soil is dumped by apatite mining each year; and 11 million tonnes of red mud is dumped from bauxite mining in Tan Rai. Despite the large number of mines across the country, the industry created only a few hundred thousand jobs, while damaging the lives of many more. Dang Quoc Tuan, a local in Trai Cau Town, Thai Nguyen Province, said that they had to live with air and sound pollution for the past ten years from the mining activities there. "There are many times our lands and homes were hit by rocks from mining explosions. The companies said they followed regulations and the explosions were at a safe distance. We think the reports on environmental impacts might not be accurate. More importantly, we're afraid of ground subsidence, especially in rainy season," he said. Vu Dang Khoa, chairman of Trai Cau Town, said mining activities had lowered levels of underground water, caused air pollution and damaged roads. He said 200 households were living on ground at risk of subsidence. Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, of the Vietnam Mining Coalition, said environmental taxes and fees are paid into a locality's common budget and can be used for strengthening infrastructure, helping people find jobs after selling land or relocating, but these taxes are not effectively allocated. A survey by the Vietnam Mining Coalition in 31 communes showed that only a handful were using environmental taxes effectively and money could be being used for wrong purposes. Vu Dang Khoa said, "The regulations need to be more detailed. All revenues must be announced clearly." First national contest on traffic safety at schools launched The first national contest on traffic safety at schools was officially launched at a ceremony held at Chu Van An High School in Hanoi on October 26. The contest aims to implement the Government’s resolution on fostering measures to ensure traffic safety and order while realising plans on traffic safety of the National Committee for Traffic Safety (NCTS) and the Ministry of Education and Training. The multiple choice tests for high school students nationwide consist of three rounds: the school round from October 6 to February 28, 2016, the provincial/municipal round from March 11 to March 31, 2016 and the national final round in April 2016. Each contestant will create his or her only online account at http://giaothonghocduong.com.vn to be selected for the provincial/municipal round after taking part in the 12-week school round. Each province/city will select a first-prize winner to sit for the final test to take place in Hanoi. The contest’s prizes are worth VND300 million (US$13,500). According to Vice Chairman of the NCTS, questions will be made in various forms - in words, photos and 3D - to vividly depict different traffic situations, helping students comprehend dangerous circumstances and learn preventive skills. The contest is a practical activity to help educate students on traffic culture, skills and knowledge in a natural and effective manner, helping them access theory questions in A1 and A2 driving tests. Rubbish, smoke of recycling workshops ruining village air Residents living in Hung Yen Province's Minh Khai village are surrounded by rubbish and smoke from recycling workshops. Located in Van Lam District's Nhu Quynh Township, the village with the common name - Khoai village - is in danger from pollution. Nearly 1,000 household live with rubbish and earn their living by recycling plastic from waste. Many residents also become wealthy from their jobs. Each day, the village collects about 160-180 tonnes of waste from throughout the country, a local resident said. In the afternoon, trucks filled with waste queue up at the entrance to the village, where the waste is piled in heaps. All empty spaces here are used to hold rubbish, residents said. The local residents collect waste from Ha Noi and neighbouring localities to recycle it into new products made from plastic, such as bags, rope, water pipes and rain coats to be sold at traditional markets. Recycling this waste, however, has harmed the environment and health of residents here due to the black smoke coming from waste recycling workshops. Nguyen Minh Thu, a local resident who does not earn money from waste, complained that she has to keep her windows and doors closed all day and night, yet she still suffers from the odors coming from plastic recycling workshops. "My family has to breath smoke from waste and breathe in the burnt smells from workshops. I don't know what to do, except close the door all day," she said. Meanwhile, a resident who earns money from collecting waste said that many people here know the danger of recycling plastics, but continue this work because it is their jobs. He also said residents are accustomed to the smells, and only outsiders who come here cannot breath the fumes. Additionally, workers are not equipped with special work clothing and most of the work performed in processing plastics is done by hand, including collecting, sorting and drying waste, and placing it into processing machines. Waste has also been discharged, along with water, into canals, which are now filled with waste and mud. Further, ponds in the village are covered by thick layers of mud created by plastic waste. There are no health tests performed on residents here, particularly children, and no one knows whether recycling plastics have affected the local residents' health. Of note, Nguyen Minh Thuy, head of Minh Khai craft industrial complex, said all private workshops should be relocated to the complex to put an end the pollution of the area's environment. More than 400 workshops hope to move to the complex, but it is over-crowded, as it consists of only 11ha, Thuy said. The district also has plan to expand the area to 50ha to help local households move their workshops to the complex. Deputy director of the provincial Resources and Environment Department Tran Dang Anh said the province is carrying out many measures to help craft villages develop in a stable way. These include support in building an industrial complex and moving workshops in craft villages which suffer from serious pollution, along with training workers, providing loans and land for workshops, as well as to encourage households in craft villages to move to the complex or change vocations, Anh said. Measures to protect the environment are also being strictly carried out in each village, he said.  Effectiveness, transparency of fee to protect environment questioned Participants questioned the transparency as well as effectiveness of collecting environmental protection fees from miners at a conference held last Friday in Ha Noi. The fee has been officially collected from individuals or organisations exploiting minerals since 2006 following the Decree No 137/2005/ND-CP approved by the Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Meanwhile, Irish historian and researcher Tim Doling, who is based in Viet Nam, and has worked with the UN and other organisations in Viet Nam, began a Facebook page a year ago called Sai Gon Heritage Observatory, as well as a website www.historicvietnam.com. They both contain detailed information about most historic buildings in the city as well as other places around the country. Doling also is an advocate for preservation of many of these buildings.  VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri