The People’s Committee of the central city of Da Nang has ordered a suspension of the ongoing digging of agricultural land following complaints from local residents.

>> An audio version of the story is available here The order was issued in a document sent to competent agencies by the committee’s chairman, Huynh Duc Tho, who asked them to immediately stop the turning of the land for agricultural production in Hoa Vang District. Tho’s order came after the administration received complaints from local residents who said the land work is actually mineral exploitation activities by businesses, and that such activities have caused the loss of natural resources and environmental pollution. These businesses have been allowed to carry out such land work by former chairman of the People’s Committee Van Huu Chien in his decisions signed only one day before he retired on January 1, 2015. The land excavation has since been conducted in Hoa Nhan Village and Hoa Phuoc Hamlet in Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Phu Commune.Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters on March 11 witnessed many specialized vehicles digging soil in these two areas, which have a total area of 12,000 m² and are being exploited by two businesses, Thinh Quoc Phong and Thinh Phu Lam. These companies have negotiated with locals to exploit soil and provided materials gained from the work for building the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway, as well as for brick makers. Many trucks carrying soil and other materials from the exploitation use roads in the area, including National Highway 14G, causing dust pollution in many areas in and around the exploitation sites, locals said.

The travel of such trucks in large numbers has also damaged traffic routes, they said, adding that soil, sand, and rocks from the vehicles often fall to the ground. On December 26, 2014, Tran Van Truong, chairman of Hoa Vang District, submitted a statement to the city authorities asking to reform a land area of 16,200 m² near National Highway 14G, for the stated reason that this area is vulnerable to landslides, affecting the safety of the highway.

Truong’s statement was aimed at proposing that the city government allow local businesses to improve the land area.  However, Tuoi Tre reporters found that the land area is 300-400 meters form the highway and is unlikely to have an impact on the road.    In the said document by incumbent chairman Tho, he asked the director of the Da Nang City Department of Natural Resources and Environment to work with the chairperson of Hoa Vang District to suspend such exploitation activities. He also asked local police to tighten control over the exploitation and transport of minerals in the district and strictly punish violators of relevant regulations. In talking with Tuoi Tre, Nguyen Tan Khoa, director of the Hoa Vang District Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said he will inform the businesses involved of the order of suspension.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!