Closed trail crossing WHA Industrial Park in Nghi Loc

On the morning of July 13, 2022, local authorities at all levels in Nghi Loc district and functional forces forcibly closed the old trail running across the WHA Industrial Zone 1 Nghe An Industrial Park Project deployed in Nghi Thuan commune (Nghi Loc).

By 5:00 p.m. the same day, the road closure work was completed. Specifically, the old trail cutting through the WHA Industrial Park Project was removed, closing the entrance to the industrial park, creating favorable conditions for attracting investment for the district and the province.

This is a road located in the planning of WHA Industrial Zone 1 Nghe An, connecting from Khanh Thien hamlet, Binh Thuan, Ru Than, Nghi Thuan commune, Nghi Loc district to National Highway 7C (road N5). Maintaining this old road not only hinders the construction and general development of the Project but also causes traffic safety problems for people traveling.

Therefore, to ensure planning and facilitate the travel needs of the people, the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone has coordinated with the People's Committee of Nghi Loc district and WHA Industrial Zone Company to invest in a new road to replace the old road. The new road is located close to the industrial park, 740m long, 6.5m wide with reinforced concrete, with street lights and trees to ensure standards for serving local people's traffic since September 2019.

Authorities are dismantling the culvert connecting the trail and N5 road. Photo: Ngoc Khanh

Although the new road replacing the old one has been completed, some households, mainly in Binh Thuan hamlet, still deliberately prevent it, even though on January 17, 2022, Nghi Loc District People's Committee issued Notice No. 33/TB-UBND on closing the old trail to hand over the site to investors to implement the project. Since then, the closure of this road has not been implemented due to the opposition of some people in Binh Thuan hamlet, although the local authorities and sectors have repeatedly propagated, mobilized, and organized direct dialogues with the people.

On the morning of July 13, while the authorities were closing the road, some people came out to obstruct, gathered and injured some riot police officers. The authorities arrested some individuals who were inciting and resisting law enforcement officers to be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Previously, on March 30, 2022, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee issued Notice No. 277/TB-UBND on the Conclusion of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung at the working session to resolve a number of problems related to the road connecting National Highway 7C to Binh Thuan hamlet, Nghi Thuan commune, crossing WHA Industrial Zone 1 - Nghe An and assigned specific responsibilities to Nghi Loc District People's Committee. On April 8, 2022, Nghi Loc District People's Committee issued Notice No. 240/TB-UBND on the implementation of the contents of the Provincial People's Committee's notice. The relevant authorities also assessed the planning process for the WHA Industrial Zone 1 - Nghe An Project, Phase 1 (143.5 hectares), which was fully implemented and in accordance with the law.

By 5 p.m. on July 13, the trail closure was completed. Photo: Ngoc Khanh

WHA Industrial Zone 1 Nghe An Industrial Park Project is one of the key projects of Nghe An province; creating economic space, attracting domestic and foreign investors, contributing significantly to shifting economic structure, developing industrial production, promoting the strong development of industry and services of Nghi Thuan commune in particular and Nghi Loc district in general.

Infrastructure of electricity, roads, schools, stations are invested in a spacious and synchronous manner; the transportation system is convenient, the appearance of the countryside is increasingly improving. Therefore, closing the old trail, creating conditions for the development project is necessary, bringing many benefits to the community and making the locality more and more developed.