The chaotic situation at the Pha Lai tourist spot (Con Cuong) needs to be addressed promptly.

Despite the ban

On the first day of August, we arrived at the Pha Lai dam in Mon Son commune (Con Cuong district), nearly a month after the deadline set by the Con Cuong District People's Committee for owners of floating restaurants to dismantle their structures. However, reporters witnessed a tourist bus carrying dozens of passengers parked in the parking lot leading to the floating restaurant, with restaurant staff still warmly introducing and welcoming guests. Just above the dam, local authorities had erected a corrugated iron fence to prevent the floating restaurants from serving customers. However, this fence still left an entrance and exit, allowing customers to easily pass through.

According to a report from the People's Committee of Mon Son commune to the People's Committee of Con Cuong district on August 1st, the practice of transporting tourists by inland waterways, and the operation of receiving and serving food on floating rafts at Pha Lai dam, is still ongoing. Pha Lai dam is located on the picturesque Giang River, with its charming scenery, making it a popular tourist destination. Recognizing this demand, some households have started building floating restaurants and purchasing boats to transport tourists to explore the Giang River.

According to Mr. Luong Van Hoa, Chairman of the People's Committee of Mon Son commune, this spontaneous business is expanding, failing to ensure safety and affecting the environment, security, and order. "There have been several waterway accidents, fortunately without causing any casualties. Once, a large rock fell from the mountain onto a floating restaurant... In addition, to expand their services, some floating restaurant owners are encroaching on protected forest land to build restrooms. Authorities have warned them, but they don't comply; when we inspect during the day, they secretly operate at night," Mr. Hoa said.

To develop tourism at the Pha Lai dam, in 2017, Con Cuong district called on a business to invest with commitments to create favorable conditions. This business developed a project and received approval from the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee for investment and land allocation. The business proceeded with construction and operation… However, the aforementioned privately owned, spontaneously established floating restaurants have been operating on the land and water area already allocated to the business. Consequently, conflicts have repeatedly arisen between the business and the restaurant owners.

According to Mr. Nguyen Que Su, Deputy Director of the Department of Transport, there are currently 3 floating houses in this area, comprising a complex of 6 floating houses belonging to 3 households (each house approximately 90m2 in area) operating food and beverage services on the water. These floating houses operate spontaneously.

This area also has 42 inland waterway vessels owned by residents of Mon Son commune, participating in passenger transport for tourism and sightseeing on the Giang River, with a capacity of 8 to 15 horsepower. Many of these vessels are unregistered, uninspected, or have expired inspection certificates. Some operators have not been granted professional certificates for operating inland waterway vessels.

Needs to be dealt with soon.

Regarding this issue, the leaders of the Con Cuong District People's Committee stated that on April 24th, the District People's Committee held a dialogue to address the difficulties and obstacles at the Pha Lai dam area. Following this, on June 29th, a liên ngành (inter-agency) inspection team from the Provincial People's Committee, tasked with inspecting inland waterway passenger transport and water-based recreational activities, also worked with businesses and households involved in inland waterway passenger transport and food and beverage businesses operating on floating rafts at Pha Lai.

In order to ensure the construction of the Pha Lai tourist wharf complies with regulations, quickly bring tourism activities into order, and guarantee the safety of tourists, on June 30, the People's Committee of Con Cuong district issued a document requiring that all inland waterway passenger transport activities in the Pha Lai dam area be stopped no later than July 10. Vehicles that meet the required standards are permitted to move to and operate at the Pha Lai 2 passenger wharf.

Furthermore, the People's Committee of Con Cuong District also requested that owners of floating rafts operating in the Pha Lai dam area hand over the land on the Giang River to the District People's Committee before July 10th. At the same time, it requested that owners of floating rafts who have signed commitments to dismantle all constructions, structures, materials, goods, machinery, equipment, etc., in the Pha Lai dam area before July 8th.

According to Mr. Luong Van Hoa, Chairman of the Mon Son Commune People's Committee, the owners of floating rafts and many other watercraft subsequently failed to comply with these requirements. Therefore, on July 14th, the local authorities were forced to construct a barrier at the Pha Lai dam area (leaving an entrance/exit area with a gate and lock). At the same time, they announced a temporary suspension of tourism activities at the dam, directing residents and tourists wishing to take boat trips to Pha Lai 2 pier.

However, some inland waterway vessels have not yet moved into Lai 2 Ferry Terminal as required. Floating rafts show no signs of dismantling or moving materials out of the Lai Ferry Dam area. The practice of transporting passengers by inland waterway, and the activities of receiving and serving food on floating rafts at the Lai Ferry Dam, are still ongoing.

Faced with this situation, on July 28th, the Mon Son commune authorities sent forces to lock the gates and barriers at the ferry terminal, but met with fierce resistance from the owners of the floating houses. Therefore, despite building the barriers, they proved ineffective, as passengers could still freely enter and exit the floating houses. According to the reporter's investigation, on July 18th, the Mon Son commune People's Committee submitted a report proposing that the Con Cuong district People's Committee direct the district police to directly inspect and strictly handle inland waterway vessels that do not meet the operating requirements, in order to prevent these vessels from transporting passengers. At the same time, it requested the district People's Committee to continue addressing the issues identified in the Plan for resolving problems at Lai Ferry Terminal issued on October 25th, 2022, but the district People's Committee did not provide any direction.

Regarding this issue, a leader of the Con Cuong District People's Committee stated that the district's stance is to resolutely and strictly handle cases of violations.

According to the head of the Department of Transport, the floating rafts operating food and beverage businesses at Pha Lai Dam are not inland waterway vessels as regulated and are temporary structures not subject to legal regulations regarding design, technical safety inspection, and operational registration. The People's Committee of Con Cuong District will direct relevant authorities to suspend operations and develop a plan for dismantling them...

The Department of Transport also requested the People's Committee of Con Cuong district to review the status of watercraft serving passengers on the Pha Lai dam. The vessels must have complete inspection stickers, registration plates, signs indicating the number of passengers allowed, and signs promoting "Passengers are required to wear life jackets or carry flotation devices." The department also called for the resolute suspension of operations for passenger terminals and watercraft that do not meet the conditions and standards for inland waterway safety. Local police forces, in coordination with the Transport Inspectorate, should be deployed to decisively address illegal passenger terminals and watercraft.