The funding will be made available next year so that Hoi An town authorities can develop the project to treat the wastewater system in a canal under the pagoda, which was built in the 17th century, said Le Van Giang, chairman of the town People’s Committee.
The pollution has been caused by untreated waste that has been directly disc-harged into the canal, which runs into the Hoai River, thus making the water stink, authorities said.
Tourists who visit the area often leave quickly since they cannot stand the bad smell.
Nguyen Thi Thu, 46, a boatwoman on the river, said, “The river was previously deep and clean, but it now smells terrible due to waste.”
Tran Thi Hai, 50, a resident of Cam Pho Ward, said, “The river’s water has become foul smelling. In the rainy season, the smell is less serious than in the dry season.”
Tran Thanh Thai, 45, f-rom Minh An Ward, said the well water in his house, and in other houses near the balancing reservoir, has recently turned yellow and very smelly.
In 2005, the town authorities built a balancing reservoir on an area of 500 square meters located between two wards, Minh An and Cam Pho, 100 meters f-rom the pagoda, to moderate the wastewater disc-harged by local residents, to clean the canal, and to regulate the wastewater before it is released into the river.
However, since the amount wastewater has steadily increased and the reservoir is not equipped with a treatment system, the reservoir has instead become a pool of pollution in the town, authorities said.