The Board of Directors of Dong Thap Provincial Police has just held a meeting to discuss solutions to handle illegal exploitation of field surface soil. At the meeting, leaders of the Provincial Police requested the police force at all levels to strengthen grasping the situation, detecting and strictly handling acts of illegal exploitation, transportation, and trading of field surface soil.
Recently, in some localities in the province, especially the coastal area of Go Cong and border communes bordering Cambodia, the situation of exploiting surface soil is rampant. According to records, the purchase price of surface soil between traders and people is about 5 million VND/1,000 m2, causing many people to disregard regulations to exploit. This may bring temporary material benefits, but leave many unpredictable consequences. The surface soil layer is originally a nutrient-rich, loose soil layer and has the ability to retain water and air. Therefore, when this soil layer is removed, the soil underneath is often compressed, poor in organic matter, making it difficult for rice plants to develop, roots cannot grow deep, leading to reduced yield and quality. Not only that, surface soil exploitation also increases the risk of soil erosion and degradation, even leading to localized "desertification". The lost protective soil layer makes the soil easily washed away by rain or blown away by wind, breaking down beneficial microorganisms - an important factor in organic decomposition and maintaining the natural nutrient cycle.
This activity also has a negative impact on the surrounding environment. The process of exploitation and transportation generates dust, causing air pollution; changes terrain, causing water stagnation; affecting the ecosystem and potentially affecting groundwater resources if exploited on a large scale. Worryingly, many areas of land after being exploited are very difficult to restore, requiring costly renovation costs, and even in some places losing the ability to cultivate for a long time.
Notably, individuals and businesses have appeared to broker and collect field surface soil for sale to serve ground leveling and civil works. Subjects use motorized vehicles such as excavators and excavators for illegal exploitation; transportation causes soil to spill onto the road, causing traffic unsafety and rural environmental pollution, directly affecting people's lives.
The drastic involvement of Dong Thap Provincial Police is expected to promptly prevent and effectively handle the situation of illegal exploitation of field surface soil, contributing to protecting land resources, ecological environment and ensuring sustainable agricultural development in the area.
