Only 20 percent of the factories in Myanmar are adhering to the water treatment standards, said U Khin Maung Yi, advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Wastewater can have harmful health effects. We are conducting surveys with the help of WHO to find out how to treat the wastewater properly,” said, Khin Maung Yi, who previously conducted a factory wastewater treatment survey.
Seventeen countries including Myanmar have reported about their own wastewater treatment systems and standards to WHO and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) in late 2013.
U Khin Maung Yi said Breweries are the major violators of the regulations.
U Myat Thin Aung, chair of Hlaing Tharyar Industrial Zone management committee, said that although they are routinely conducting inspections on water treatment, bad smells caused by wastewater are still prevalent and that the factories in the zone need systematic treatment technologies.
Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) conducted the last citywide inspection on water treatment standards in 2012 in which only 39 factories were reported to have meet all the criteria.
A total of 167 factories were found to be disposing wastewater in the designated area but failing to comply all the rules and 3,054 factories were found to be disposing wastewater irresponsibly.
YCDC will carry out the second inspection in 2015 where over 3,500 factories, including breweries and distilleries, will be covered.
The committee is also getting help from water experts and water treatment focused international companies to upgrade the water treatment technologies and practices of industries.
