Consequences of Lam River
(Baonghean) - Throughout the night on Lam River, passing through Thanh Linh, Thanh Tien, Thanh Hung communes... of Thanh Chuong district, we witnessed the problem of illegal sand mining continuing to rage.
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| The sand gathering site in hamlet 12, Thanh Tien commune has been suspended by authorities but is still bustling with activity at night. |
Close-up of the violation
The people of Hamlet 12, Thanh Tien Commune, Thanh Chuong District, who reported the illegal sand mining problem to Nghe An Newspaper, said that their houses and gardens are adjacent to the Lam River, so the problem of “sand bandits” has caused many consequences to their lives.
Residents added: “At night, especially from midnight to dawn, illegal sand miners operate openly, without encountering any obstruction. We have reported the matter to the authorities and local government many times, but the handling of the matter has remained open…”.
And by the evening of January 22, 2018, residents of Hamlet 12, Thanh Tien Commune reported: "There are signs that they will start mining early tonight. We request Nghe An Newspaper to clarify this issue for the people...".
Being present in hamlet 12, Thanh Tien commune on the night of January 22, 2018, from the houses of households living along the Lam River, one could hear the sound of sand suction machines. The plan that the people outlined was that they would use fishing boats to take reporters to the river sections where there were sand suction ships and sand gathering docks to record evidence.
“From the border between Thanh Linh and Thanh Tien communes to Rang bridge is the most heavily exploited area. We will send someone to take the journalists there…” - said a resident of hamlet 12.
Getting off the corrugated iron fishing boat, we rocked in the night on the black river surface, gradually approaching the sand dredges with their engines roaring and their warning lights flashing.
At the border between Thanh Linh commune and Thanh Tien commune, we recorded 5 sand dredgers. After about 1 hour of filling their holds, these ships quietly moved to the gathering area in hamlet 12, Thanh Tien commune. Stopping the fishing boat at a floating beach in the middle of the river, we witnessed the bustling scene of sand being transported from sand mining ships to the wharf; from the wharf to vehicles. At this gathering area, there were 3-4 sand cranes operating continuously, with headlights illuminating the entire area...
We continued to go up to Rang bridge with the locals. For about 1 km on the river, there were a few more sand dredgers along the shore. Nearing Rang bridge, the locals took us to the shore, along the corn fields up to Rang bridge. Because “from the bridge, we can see the whole scene of sand mining activities, safely without being detected by illegal sand miners…”.
Indeed, from Rang bridge, it is easy to observe illegal sand mining ships upstream and downstream. The areas where sand is being dredged are about 100m from the foot of Rang bridge, close to the alluvial plains where local people are growing corn and other crops.
The mining scene in this area is even more bustling than the section bordering Thanh Linh and Thanh Tien. And on the left bank, in Thanh Hung commune, there is also a gathering place, with bright lights and tower cranes hurriedly transporting sand from mining ships to the beach...
Consequences
On the morning of January 23, 2018, we continued to use fishing boats with the people of hamlet 12, Thanh Tien commune, along the Lam River from Thanh Linh commune to the end of Thanh Tien land. The Lam River is vast. But on both banks, trees are leaning, the banks are sinking and collapsing. There is even a section of the left bank of the Lam River that used to be covered with stone gabions to prevent erosion, but now it has almost completely sunk and washed away.
“It’s all because of illegal sand mining. Illegal sand mining has caused thousands of meters of land and rock walls to collapse and be washed away. If this situation is not stopped, even houses and Provincial Road 33 will be damaged…” - said a resident.
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| Residents of Hamlet 12, Thanh Tien Commune reported the problem of sand bandits to Nghe An Newspaper reporters. |
Along with the situation of the banks being eroded, collapsed, and sunken, many sinkholes have appeared on the Lam River, leading to tragic drowning incidents. “Even the workers of sand mining ships have drowned. That was the case of Nguyen Van D., a student at Vinh University, who took advantage of his day off to help his family, but while pumping sand from the ship to the wharf, he slipped and fell into the sand hole. D. drowned to death on March 3, 2016…” - people reported.
According to the head of the self-management group of hamlet 12 - Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, people are not only upset with the situation of sand mining on the river, but also with the situation of the sand storage site right in the heart of the residential area. Because like with the sand storage site in hamlet 12, the situation of unloading and transporting thousands of cubic meters of sand is very serious.3Sand and gravel from hundreds of trucks day and night to be transported for sale everywhere has caused environmental pollution. At the same time, the crashing and roaring sounds of 7 homemade cranes of mining ships with sand and gravel suction engines... are seriously affecting the health and daily life of people, especially from 9 pm to 5 am.
Mr. Ho Van Nhan (Hamlet 12, Thanh Tien Commune) informed that due to the large number of cars entering the sand and gravel loading area, many serious accidents have occurred here. Specifically, on October 11, 2016, while participating in traffic in the sand loading area, Ms. Nguyen Thi A., residing in Thanh Tien Commune, was run over and killed by a car from the sand loading area. In Hamlet 8, Thanh Tien Commune, a resident also had a traffic accident, slipped and fell off his motorbike and had to go to the emergency room and receive long-term treatment.
According to Mr. Pham Huy Truong (Hamlet 12, Thanh Tien Commune), illegal sand mining, trading and transportation by sand port owners in Thanh Tien Commune has been going on for nearly 7 years, continuously day and night, causing many serious consequences.
The people have repeatedly petitioned the commune and district authorities to investigate and deal with the illegal resource theft activities of the two families, and directly proposed to the National Assembly delegation to meet with voters; but the illegal sand mining activities are still openly operating. How long will the people have to endure this situation?…
Along with the people of hamlet 12, the people of hamlet 1, Thanh Tien commune also suffered many consequences of illegal sand mining. After many times the local government failed to deal with the "sand bandits", the people gathered and used boats to go down the Lam River to directly push them away. Around October 2017, during a push, the people confiscated 4 boats and 8 anchors of the illegal sand mining ships and handed them over to the authorities. Since this incident, the people have requested the commune to establish an environmental group to push away the illegal sand miners.
Through the inspection of the provincial Inter-sectoral Working Group in Thanh Chuong, Nam Dan, Hung Nguyen districts and Vinh City, a number of shortcomings of sand and gravel businesses and households were clarified: Minh Tam Private Enterprise; Thai Dai Loi Joint Stock Company; Cao Van Dai Business Household; Bao Duc Joint Stock Company; Tuyet Cong Private Construction and Trade Enterprise; Hoang Nghia Hai Business Household; Phan Van Tai Business Household; Yen Nhi Clean Sand Mining Company Limited; Kieu Dieu Private Enterprise...
The problems are: No land lease contract as prescribed by law; no license to operate inland waterway ports; no legal procedures on environment; no complete invoices proving the origin of imported sand and gravel; no detailed books of purchase and sale of goods; difference between imported goods and sold goods not yet declared for tax...