Deputy Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Huy Tuong has asked manufacturers in Me Linh District's Quang Minh 1 Industrial Zone to connect to the zone's wastewater treatment facility by the end of the year.
The request came during a dialogue that he chaired on Thursday.
Only 37 out of 89 manufacturers in the zone are currently connected to the wastewater treatment facility, which has a capacity of 3,000 cubic meters a day.
The remaining 52 manufacturers are discharging wastewater directly into the surrounding environment.
Manufacturers blamed this on Nam Duc Property Investment and Development Company, the operator of the industrial zone.
They said the company refused to allow connection with facilities because they hadn't signed rental contracts. The two sides are yet to reach agreement.
Manufacturers also petitioned the city's authorities to investigate the company's investment in the zone and look at their preliminary contribution before the company took over the investment.
Tuong promised to organize an inspection with representatives from the Departments of Planning and Investment, Finance, and Construction to review land rental prices in the industrial zone and ensure they are reasonable.
He also asked the tenants to sign overall contracts with Nam Duc Company within the month.
The city's Department of Natural Resources and Environment will grant a water-discharging license to Nam Duc Company when all manufacturers complete connection with its wastewater treatment facility.
Quang Minh 1 Industrial Zone, with an area of around 350ha, is one of the biggest in the city. To date, it has attracted 126 investment projects which employ 18,000 people.
Dong Nai Province have announced a US$90 million plan to transform an old industrial zone to save a major river in the southern region.