Speed ​​up the progress of dredging Lach Thoi

(Baonghean) -Lach Thoi is a place for anchoring and sheltering from storms for many boats in Son Hai, Quynh Tho - Quynh Luu communes. However, in recent years, this estuary has been silted up, causing boats to often run aground, have broken propellers, capsize, collide with each other and cause accidents... In response to this situation, in 2013, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district implemented the "dredging of Lach Thoi" project.

Mud suction on Thoi creek.

Mr. Tran Van Nam - a boat owner in Son Hai commune, led us along the beach to Lach Thoi estuary. The muddy alluvial ground is getting worse and worse, with mangroves and mulberry trees growing wildly. Returning to Lach Thoi fishing port, boats are anchored crowded together. Nguyen Hai - a fisherman in Son Hai commune said: The number of boats is increasing day by day, but Lach Thoi is silted up, boats wanting to enter or exit the estuary must wait for the tide to rise before they can go. The silted estuary makes it difficult to transport fish to shore, many large-capacity ships, for fear of running aground, have to anchor outside the estuary and hire small boats to transfer fish to shore. According to statistics from local fishermen, every year there are more than 40 cases of boats running aground in Lach Thoi, in the mild cases, the vessels can be salvaged, in the severe cases, the boats are broken by waves, affecting the economy of the fishermen.

Faced with that situation, at the end of 2013, the "Lach Thoi dredging project" with a total value of over 120 billion VND (invested by the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district) was started. Accordingly, the 4.7 km long Lach Thoi will be dredged, ensuring the need to shelter from storms for over 300 boats. Immediately after the groundbreaking day, the construction unit actively brought in suction vessels and dredgers to dredge. Bui Manh Hung - a worker working here said: Right from the 6th day of the Lunar New Year, we started dredging mud, using a blower dredge (sucking mud and sand) connected to a nearly 1,000m long pipe to discharge mud to the dumping area with a capacity of 1,000m3 of mud/hour. The waste mud will be transported to level the ground for other projects.

Mr. Bui Van Hao - Director of the Quynh Luu District Construction Project Management Board said: The Management Board directed the construction unit to organize dredging and pumping mud at weak points in advance to create conditions for fishing boats to set sail right from the first days of the Lunar New Year. The dredging work encountered many difficulties at the mouth of the channel adjacent to the sea when it rained and the waves were strong, so taking advantage of favorable weather, the dredging vehicles concentrated on working day and night. To overcome the difficulties, the contractor mobilized specialized dredging equipment, along with a team of technical staff and skilled workers in the field of dredging the channel. It is known that up to this point, the construction unit has dredged and pumped over 10,000 m3 of mud and sand. This unit is continuing to mobilize 4 more dredgers, a total of 7 dredgers, determined to complete the construction on schedule. By the flood season of July 2014, the dredging of Lach Thoi will be completed with a volume equivalent to over 60 billion VND.

Mr. Tran Van Hung - Chairman of Son Hai Commune People's Committee added: Clearing Lach Thoi is an opportunity to open up the direction of marine economic development. Currently, the whole commune has 252 boats, but mainly small-capacity boats fishing offshore, only over 50 boats with capacity from 250-300 horsepower going offshore. Currently, many households have "taken shortcuts", knowing that in 2014 the Lach Thoi dredging project will be completed, so fishermen are confident to borrow money together to build big boats, large engines (over 400 horsepower) to go offshore to exploit more effectively seafood with high economic value.

It is known that after dredging the channel, phase II of the project continues to build embankments at the entrance to Lach Thoi, Son Tho bridge, independent anchors, boat mooring docks and a sign system. It can be said that the Lach Thoi dredging project has made fishermen very excited. Everyone hopes that the project will be completed soon so that the coastal communes here can develop more strongly in the seafood catching industry.

Van Truong