Warning about encroachment on Vach Bac drainage canal

(Baonghean) - For many years, the Vach Bac drainage canal system has been indiscriminately encroached upon by people in Do Thanh-Yen Thanh commune. They have brazenly built solid houses, illegally encroached on it, and dumped garbage indiscriminately into the canal, causing environmental pollution and obstructing the flow.

Along the dike of the Vach Bac drainage canal from Do Thanh to Yen Thanh communes, we saw solid houses encroaching on the canal bed. Near the commune center, people built many 2-3 storey houses, including the house of the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Do Thanh commune. On the right bank is a 4-storey villa of Mr. Hoang Thinh, blocking the headquarters of the People's Committee of Do Thanh commune under construction.

Illegal housing constructions have sprung up along the banks of the Vach Bac drainage canal in Do Thanh commune.

Mr. Ho Duc D, a local resident, was upset: In recent years, the local government has failed to stop the encroachment of irrigation works, but people continue to build many new houses on the dike. Indeed, it can be observed that in many sections, people continue to pour down pillars to build houses, and they even put concrete stakes and B40 steel fences around the dike to confirm that the land has an owner. Next to the N18A irrigation canal, people have also built temporary bridges and expanded it to encroach on it for construction. Moreover, people dump waste everywhere on the dike or directly into the canal, causing serious environmental pollution.

It is known that the Vach Bac drainage canal system plays a very important role in flood drainage for the entire Yen Thanh district. The N18A irrigation canal irrigates thousands of hectares of rice. However, in 1999, the local government lent people land on the Vach Bac dike corridor for business purposes, at first only building small huts and shops.

However, over time, households have built more and more solid structures. Up to now, there are over 200 households illegally building structures on the corridor of the Vach Bac drainage canal and the N 18A canal. Bac Irrigation Company has repeatedly prevented and requested Do Thanh commune to dismantle the illegal structures, but then everything went back to the way it was.

In 2003, when the staff of the Bac Irrigation Company went to inspect the illegal planting of trees in the flood escape corridor, the family of Mr. Nguyen Van Hiep of Do Thanh commune assaulted and injured Mr. Truong Hong Lam, the construction management officer of the Company. The People's Committee of Yen Thanh district issued Decision No. 5504/QD.UBND dated November 24, 2011 on the establishment of a Steering Committee to resolve the situation of illegal encroachment and construction on the Vach Bac dike and the N18A canal, but up to now, the encroachment of the dike corridor in Vach Bac has increased.

Mr. Nguyen Si Hung - Vice Chairman of Yen Thanh District People's Committee presented: "The district has also coordinated with departments and branches many times to implement the clearance of the encroachment on irrigation works in Do Thanh but it is very difficult. Because here, households built houses illegally, before 2000, the local government granted them land for an indefinite period.

Currently, the District People's Committee is campaigning to relocate Mr. Hiep's family in Do Thanh commune, who illegally built a house on the border between Do Thanh and Tho Thanh communes without any documents. If Mr. Hiep's family does not comply, the Yen Thanh District People's Committee will carry out enforcement."

Requesting the People's Committee of Yen Thanh district and Do Thanh commune to quickly take measures to resolve the encroachment on the Vach Bac drainage canal. Organize the installation of boundary markers, make a record of the current situation, and strictly handle households that intentionally violate the law.

Vuong Tran