Fear of losing land, damaging bridges due to sand mining near residential areas
When seeing vehicles of Nguyen Hoang Capital Investment Company Limited leveling sand and gravel in the Thac Ma riverbed (near Khe Muong bridge, Tan Son village), dozens of local people came to request to stop construction. People believe that this area is close to residential areas, has an important road and bridge system and is prone to landslides during the rainy season.
"If sand is scooped up right at the foot of the bridge, when the flood season comes, all roads and houses will be damaged" - Ms. Tran Thi Man (72 years old, Tay Son village) said.
Not only reacting at the scene, Mr. Tran Quoc Anh (Tan Son village) and many households have sent petitions to the commune and district authorities, requesting to reconsider the project licensing. He said that during the completion of the licensing procedures, people have repeatedly protested but it has not been properly resolved.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Trong - Director of Nguyen Hoang Capital Management Company Limited - the unit has been granted a mineral exploitation license by the People's Committee of Quang Tri province at OL6 mine with an area of over 14 hectares, for a term of 13 years and 2 months. When this unit leveled the ground and built a gathering area to prepare for exploitation, people came to stop it. Mr. Trong said that the project is currently on hold, waiting for the local government to handle it.
Temporarily suspending the project, waiting for dialogue to create consensus
In response to the strong reaction of the people, the People's Committee of Hai Son commune requested the enterprise to temporarily suspend operations and provide all legal documents of the project for inspection.
Mr. Le Van Huan - Chairman of Hai Son Commune People's Committee - confirmed that the government had previously held meetings to collect opinions, but there were many conflicting opinions. Some households are worried that the exploitation will cause water sources to clump, affecting their daily lives. People also suggested not to exploit the river section where people live due to the high risk of landslides.
"We will organize a dialogue and review all documents. If it is discovered that the enterprise has not met the prescribed conditions, the commune will not allow the project to be implemented" - Mr. Huan affirmed.
In response to the people's reaction, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Tri province conducted an inspection. Thereby, it was determined that the enterprise had leveled about 3,000m2 of the site and built a temporary shelter, but had not yet exploited in the licensed area.
In order for the sand and gravel mining project to operate in accordance with regulations, the Department of Agriculture and Environment requires Nguyen Hoang Capital Management Company Limited to temporarily suspend construction, coordinate with the People's Committee of Hai Son commune and relevant agencies to organize dialogues and propaganda so that people can clearly understand the project and create consensus.
Before exploitation, the company must notify in writing the start date and start date of exploitation to the licensing agency and local authorities.
