Sand bandits rampant in the middle of the tourist commune
In late January to mid-February 2025, based on information reflected by the people, Lao Dong reporters were present to record the situation of blatant illegal sand mining on Nam Luong stream flowing through the poetic Nghia Do tourist commune of Bao Yen district.
Along Nam Luong stream leading from the beginning of Nghia Do commune to the primary school and kindergarten area in Muong kem village, it is noted that there are 4-5 sand mining and gathering points next to the stream bank.
Observations show that these spots contain tens to hundreds of cubic meters of sand piled up. Around the exploitation area are excavators, runways, cable car...
According to local people, excavators scooped sand from the stream bed onto trucks and transported them for consumption day and night. This affects people's lives from the degraded roads and even farming in the fields.
"In Nghia Do commune, sand mining is completely banned, so no unit is licensed. These landfills have been owned by local residents for many years. They scooped up sand from the stream to truck to transport to the consumption via National Highway 279. People are very upset because the roads are plowed down and dusty, a resident shared.
People hope to thoroughly handle
According to local people, the commune government and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Bao Yen district have also come to work many times, but have not been able to completely resolve this sand mining problem.
Mr. Nguyen Huy Hoang (Nghia Do commune) said that the sand gathering and exploitation sites in Nam Luong stream, Nghia Do commune are mainly transported for consumption in Ha Giang at the price of 1 million VND/vehicle (about 4 cubic meters). Although not licensed, these spontaneous units operate openly.
According to Mr. Hoang, the residential road in the commune, which was originally small and degraded, has now become even more damaged by the operation of sand trucks. People have repeatedly reminded these vehicles to move onto the national highway but cannot do so.
"We can now only rely on the authorities to intervene. sand trucks are not allowed to run day and night like this, 20-30 trips a day, making people very insecure, posing many potential risks to safety because they are close to the commune's schools," Mr. Hoang added.
Mr. Ly Van Noi - Chairman of Nghia Do Commune People's Committee confirmed the information that the locality does not have any mines or enterprises licensed to exploit sand.
Explaining the reason why people scooped and gathered sand, according to Chairman of Nghia Do Commune People's Committee Ly Van Noi, due to the impact of storm No. 3 causing damage to houses and gardens, people started clearing the land. In addition, some households also use that sand to rebuild and repair their houses.
"The commune has asked these households to write a commitment that they are not allowed to operate or exploit sand. Upon receiving the report, I will direct the patrol force to catch and handle it, if the points are still operating," the Chairman of Nghia Do Commune People's Committee added.
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Head of Bao Yen District Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Trung Kien said: "In Nghia Do Commune, no unit is licensed to exploit sand. The information that households have done without permission, we have grasped and have also handed it over to the locality for management".
Nghia Do commune has a rich culture, in which the Tay ethnic group has a long history of residence, creating unique customs, practices and beliefs.
On September 9, 2021, Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee decided to recognize Nghia Do commune, Bao Yen district as a tourist destination.
