Dong Nai sets up cameras to monitor illegal sand exploitation

Severe landslides happen due to illegal sand-mining along Dong Nai River. The People’s Committee of Bien Hoa City in the southern province of Dong Nai will install cameras to monitor illegal sand exploitation on the river.-VNA/VNS Photo Sy Tuyen

The cameras will be installed on Tan Van and Ba Xe isles and in eight wards along the river where violations often occur, according to the Bien Hoa City’s Party Committee.

However, some of the areas do not have electricity lines, so the People’s Committee is working with the wards to remove obstacles and speed up installation of cameras.

Vo Van Chanh, deputy chairman of Dong Nai Province’s People’s Committee, said the province would also set up cameras in other locations like Long Thanh, Nhon Trach and Vinh Cuu districts if the Bien Hoa installation is successful.

Thi Van Dung, deputy secretary of Bien Hoa City’s Party Committee, said the part of Dong Nai River which runs through Bien Hoa City has high-quality sand.

The Party Committee has also directed agencies to devise a plan to protect sand resources.

The city’s two inspection teams that began work earlier this year include members of the police and military forces, and the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

They have identified dozens of illegal sand mining violators and have confiscated many vehicles.

Stone exploitation

Besides sand, enterprises in Dong Nai Province extracted more than 15 million cubic metres of stone in the first nine months of the year.

In the last three months, they plan to extract more 6.5 million cubic metres of stone. The total stone output this year is expected to be 21.5 million cubic metres, a drop of 10.5 million cubic metres compared with last year.

Nguyen Ngoc Hung, deputy director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that 32 quarries in the province had in recent years extracted 32 million cubic metres of stone annually.

To protect stone resources, early this year the Dong Nai Department of Natural Resources and Environment began working with quarries to reduce stone exploitation.

As many as 19 quarries agreed to reduce the output.