Urgently complete the dossier for converting forest use purposes to implement the Ban Mong project.

Accompanying the delegation were comrades: Nguyen Vinh Ha - Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment; Nguyen Hoang Hiep - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Bui Chinh Nghia - Deputy Director General of the General Department of Forestry; leaders of the Department of Construction Management, Department of Forestry.

Working with the delegation, on Nghe An side, there were comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Thanh Hien - Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation and representatives of relevant departments and branches; representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thanh Hoa province.

OVER 1,000 HA OF FOREST AFFECTED

Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Phan Xuan Dung and the working delegation inspected the project. Photo: Pham Bang

Ban Mon Reservoir Projectg, Nghe An province is located in the territory of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces, the Prime Minister approved the Investment Policy on January 20, 2006; the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development approved the Project on May 26, 2009; adjusted and supplemented the investment project in 2017 and 2019.

The project consists of 4 components: Component of Headworks, canal system in the irrigation area taking water directly from Ban Mong Lake; Component of pumping stations taking water from Hieu River and the canal system, works on the canal; Component of Compensation, Site Clearance, Migration, Resettlement and Component of Hydropower Works.

Headworks of Ban Mong Reservoir project. Photo: Pham Bang

This is one of the 7 projects of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development that were stopped, delayed and approved to restart in 2019. Currently, the project is identified as a national important project and must be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and decision on the content.conversion of forest use purposes.

According to the design, the flooding elevation of the reservoir will affect part of the forest area, forestry land and other types of land of 3 districts and 7 communes and towns of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces.

Working session scene. Photo: Pham Bang

The total forest area affected by the project is 1,131.22 ha (Nghe An 544.77 ha, Thanh Hoa 586.45 ha), of which protection forest is 312.95 ha (Nghe An 73.77 ha; Thanh Hoa 239.18 ha); production forest is 661.08 ha (Nghe An 332.39 ha; Thanh Hoa 328.69 ha) and forest outside the forestry planning is 157.19 ha (Nghe An 138.61 ha; Thanh Hoa 18.58 ha).

COMPLETE DOCUMENTS ON TIME

Implementing the proposal to change the purpose of forest use, after completing the necessary procedures, on September 30, 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Document No. 6802/BNN-TCLN reporting to the Government on the proposal to change the purpose of forest use to implement the Ban Mong Reservoir Project, Nghe An province.

Implementing the direction of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, on behalf of the Government, reported to the National Assembly on the project implementation status and proposed to consider and decide on the policy of converting forest use to other purposes to implement the Ban Mong Reservoir Project.

Comrade Nguyen Vinh Ha - Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment spoke at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

At the working session, members of the working delegation requested Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces to further analyze the suitability of forest conversion for local forestry planning, land use planning and plans.

At the same time, explain more clearly the reasons for the change in the area of ​​protective forests and production forests affected by the project; how the nature of the forest changes after the conversion; issues related to the environment; compensation policies for site clearance, job creation, and livelihood solutions for people in the project area.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Hoang Nghia Hieu - Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee explained and clarified a number of contents related to project implementation. Regarding the environmental impact assessment, which was built in 2011, according to regulations, it does not need to be redone. To implement the project, Nghe An had to relocate 198 households. Currently, the province has built 2 resettlement areas, ensuring adequate residential and production land for the people.

Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee explained and clarified the contents that the delegates were concerned about. Photo: Pham Bang

"The People's Committees of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces will receive and complete the dossier as a basis for submitting to the National Assembly for consideration and approval of the policy of converting forest use purposes to implement the Ban Mong reservoir project of the two provinces at the 10th session of the 14th National Assembly," affirmed comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu.

In his concluding remarks, Comrade Phan Xuan Dung - Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment emphasized that with a total investment of more than VND 4,000 billion and a capacity of 225 million m3, the Ban Mong Reservoir Project is not only an irrigation project for over 18,000 hectares of production land and people's lives, but also a project serving aquaculture production, tourism, environment, and flood prevention.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Phan Xuan Dung concluded the working session. Photo: Pham Bang

Emphasizing the necessity of the project and its need to be approved by the National Assembly at the upcoming session, Comrade Phan Xuan Dung - Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should soon complete the project-related documents.

At the same time, Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces urgently completed the documents as requested by the members of the working group to submit to the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment for review. From there, it will be used as a basis for reporting to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.