According to Mr. Lương Văn Liêm - Deputy Director of Mường Lát District Project Management Board (Thanh Hóa), in recent times, the area has been experiencing a shortage of sand, with high prices, due to the lack of sand mines in the locality, which must be purchased from neighboring districts with long distances and high transportation costs.
“From the beginning of 2024 to now, only the Thủy điện Trung Sơn reservoir dredging project has been able to extract sand for construction materials, but the quantity is limited and has been stopped, so the sand shortage has become even more severe” - Mr. Liêm said.
According to Mr. Liêm, many construction projects are currently being implemented in the area, but the shortage of sand and high prices have had a significant impact on the construction process at these projects. Most of the construction projects must obtain sand from distant mines, sometimes over 100km away in districts such as Quan Hóa, Bá Thước, or Hòa Bình Province.
The sand shortage not only affects the construction and completion of projects and public works, but also affects households when they need to build houses or small-scale projects. In reality, residents have had to accept buying sand at high prices at small-scale sand collection points in the area.
Mr. Hà Văn Tế - Head of the Environment and Natural Resources Department of Mường Lát District, Thanh Hóa Province, said that previously, the district had been allocated 6 sand mine sites, including 3 on the Mã River and 3 on the Xim Stream. However, since 2021, the locality has no longer had any sand mines with valid permits.
For some locations, dredging projects allow for sand extraction, but the quantity is limited and does not meet the construction needs in the area. Therefore, construction contractors and residents have had to buy sand from neighboring districts at high prices due to the high transportation costs over long distances.
It is known that in response to the sand shortage and high prices in Mường Lát District, in September 2023, a positive signal for construction contractors and residents came when the auction for the sand mine on the Mã River (in Trung Lý and Mường Lý communes) was completed, and the People's Committee of Thanh Hóa Province also issued a decision recognizing the winning bidder, Rạng Đông Company.
However, after winning the auction, this company did not submit a permit application for the sand mine. In March 2024, the People's Committee of Thanh Hóa Province cancelled the decision recognizing the winning bidder.
Given the current situation, many construction contractors and residents in Mường Lát District are hoping that in the near future, the auction for the sand mine (in Trung Lý and Mường Lý communes) will be implemented again, and the sand will be extracted to "cool down" the sand shortage and high prices in the district in recent times.
