People strongly protest
Reporting to Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, people in Doan Ket hamlet, Dan Tien commune, Vo Nhai district are upset about the sand and gravel mining activities on the Rong river by Viet Cuong Concrete Company Limited (Viet Cuong Company).
Accordingly, at the end of April 2025, this unit began to deploy large machinery to dig and scoop up sand on the Rong River. Local people gathered to strongly protest the risk of coastal erosion and loss of agricultural land.
Recorded by PV in early May 2025 in the Rong River area of Doan Ket hamlet, the bank was dug up and devastated. In the middle of the river, after the sand and gravel were taken away, piles of gravel and rocks were exposed, the flow was cut off.
Taking the reporter to the mining area, Mr. Do Van Vinh (Doan Ket hamlet) indignantly said that after only 5 or 6 days of operation, the bank was already shabby. The company conducted the exploitation without informing the people.
"The road leading to the newly built farming area has been eroded for several days, making travel very dangerous, especially for children. The riverbed is bumpy, the banks are messy due to mining activities.
This situation will cause many consequences if it continues, so people will protest against not allowing exploitation here. This area is very close to the people's farming beach, and landslides are obvious. They did not announce or put up signs to limit the mine but kept exploiting," said Mr. Vinh.
Also upset, Ms. Do Thi San (Doan Ket hamlet) affirmed that sand mining in the Rong riverbed makes local people worried. After many years of peace, the sand mine suddenly brought in excavators to dredge, making people worried.
According to Ms. San, in reality, the sand mine has only been operating for a few days but the bank has been devastated and the flow has changed. The authorities need to have a solution to stabilize people's lives.
Talking with Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, Mr. Tran Le Dung - Chairman of Dan Tien Commune People's Committee confirmed that local people gathered to protest the sand mining activities on the Rong River of Viet Cuong Concrete Company Limited.
"The above sand and gravel mine was licensed in 2011, with an exploitation period of 21 years. Previously, the sand mine had been in operation for a while and then stopped.
Recently, the mine has resumed operations but has encountered opposition from people due to concerns about landslides on the bank and roads. Currently, Viet Cuong Company has been requested to temporarily suspend exploitation," Mr. Dung informed.
Need to clarify the exploitation plan
One of the reasons that made Doan Ket hamlet's residents upset was that Viet Cuong Company brought excavators to the Rong River to exploit sand and gravel. Large excavators continuously dug, causing the riverbed to become rough.
Representing the households of Doan Ket hamlet, Mr. Le Kien Cuong said that exploitation by excavators causes many consequences. In addition to the risk of landslides, subsidence holes will be created.
"The large excavator has only been operating for a few days, changing the entire river and the banks. We suggest that we need to clarify the exploitation plan, whether Viet Cuong Company can use excavators or not, to avoid the risk of landslides" Mr. Cuong was upset.
According to the reporter's investigation, Viet Cuong Concrete Company Limited was granted License No. 1275 by the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province in 2011 to exploit sand and gravel as construction materials on the Rong River. In 2017, this unit was leased land for exploitation on an area of 57,000m2, in 2023 it leased an area of 53,000m2.
The underwater exploitation plan is carried out by dredging ship combined with car for transportation. Sand and gravel are excavated directly from the riverbed onto the screening system installed on the dredge. After the preliminary selection process, the coil was dumped directly into the exploited mound.
Although the plan is like that, in reality, the sand mine has recently brought a chain reaction excavator with a large bowl of excavator to the riverbed, the mining bank and transferred it directly to the transport vehicle. This has made local people upset and worried about resource loss and landslides.
Not to mention, at the screening location of this unit, the temporary settling tanks with thousands of m3 of mud water pose a risk of polluting the ecological environment.
According to Ms. Vu Thi Hue - Vice Chairman of Vo Nhai District People's Committee, in response to the concerns of the people, the district held a dialogue on May 5. At the same time, the company was required to properly implement the regulations and commitments. If landslides occur, they need to be handled and remedied promptly during the exploitation process. In the immediate future, the locality will continue to listen, propagate, and mobilize people.
Regarding the exploitation plan, Mr. Trinh Khac Chin - Department of Agriculture and Environment of Vo Nhai district said that at the time of the people's protest, the authorities came down to inspect and requested the mine to stop operating.
"If compared with the exploitation plan granted in the company's license, putting excavators into operation like that is not allowed.
However, at the time of inspection, they had stopped exploiting. For the screening area, if there is a risk of not ensuring safety, the unit will conduct an inspection of environmental issues in the coming time," Mr. Chin added.
When the reporter proposed to approach the exploitation plan at the sand mine of Viet Cuong Concrete Company Limited that had been approved by the competent authority, the representative of the People's Committee of Vo Nhai district affirmed that the unit did not hold this dossier.
