Request to stop exploitation to completely resolve problems at the sand mine in Nghia Dan district
After many protests from the people, the authorities have now requested Viet Hung Investment, Construction and Trade Joint Stock Company - licensed to exploit sand and gravel in Nghia Hung commune (Nghia Dan) - to stop sand exploitation to review and resolve the problem.
Mr. Tran Manh Ha - Vice Chairman of Nghia Dan District People's Committee, said that the local government has just worked with Viet Hung Investment, Construction and Trade Joint Stock Company (headquartered in Thanh Hoa province) and representatives of local people in Nghia Hung commune, on resolving issues related to people's protests against mining.
Accordingly, the sand and gravel mine of Viet Hung Investment, Construction and Trade Joint Stock Company is located at the junction of Dinh River and Hieu River, the border between Nghia Hung Commune and Nghia Thinh Commune of Nghia Dan District.
This sand and gravel mine has been granted License No. 1253/GP-UBND by the Provincial People's Committee, dated March 29, 2017, on the exploitation of sand and gravel minerals for common construction materials by open-pit method with an area of 4.43 hectares, reserves of 205,719m3, for a period of 20 years from the date of license issuance.
After being licensed for exploitation, on September 5, 2018, Viet Hung Trade Construction Investment Joint Stock Company was leased 44,242.3m by the Provincial People's Committee.2Land with water surface and land for growing other annual crops in Nghia Hung commune for use in mineral activities until March 29, 2037. On July 3, 2020, Land Lease Contract No. 87/HD-TD between the Provincial People's Committee and this company was signed.
However, when this unit gathered machinery and started mining, many people in Tan Phu hamlet (Nghia Hung commune), where there is production land in this area, continuously protested.
The reason given by the people is that they are concerned that sand and gravel mining will cause riverbank erosion, agricultural land erosion, affecting people's lives and production. More importantly, the people believe that the area licensed for the mine is alluvial land, used for short-term agricultural crop production by the people of Tan Phu hamlet since 2012.
When licensing the mine and leasing the land, the local government and the investor did not complete the compensation procedures. The people themselves have also petitioned many times but the problem has not been resolved.
After many unsuccessful dialogues and resolutions, the People's Committee of Nghia Dan district has issued a document proposing the Provincial People's Committee to consider adjusting the land lease decision and land lease contract for Viet Hung Investment, Construction and Trade Joint Stock Company due to the incomplete procedures for land lease and land allocation on the field. The company is required to work with families and individuals currently producing on the area to negotiate and compensate families and households affected when carrying out exploitation activities.
Nghia Dan District People's Committee also proposed to temporarily suspend the exploitation activities of Viet Hung Investment Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company until the compensation for crops on the land for the people is completed, ensuring the conditions for land lease according to regulations. At the same time, it is necessary to conduct an early field inspection to have accurate assessment results on the reflections of households about Viet Hung Investment Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company's exploitation causing riverbank erosion, affecting agricultural production.
Based on the proposal of the People's Committee of Nghia Dan district, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghe An also requested Viet Hung Investment, Construction and Trade Joint Stock Company to temporarily suspend mineral exploitation activities in the above-mentioned area until the problems related to compensation and support for trees and crops on land for the people are resolved.
Currently, according to Mr. Ha, after the meeting between the parties on the afternoon of October 31, Viet Hung Investment Construction and Trade Joint Stock Company agreed to stop exploitation to resolve the problems. The people also agreed to let the relevant parties organize measurements, extracts, and determine the affected area to have the earliest compensation plan.
