Procrastination in handling violations at Pha Lai tourist site

Openly demolished the barricades erected by the government

In early April, when the tourist season began, many groups of tourists flocked to floating restaurants at Pha Lai Dam, located on the Giang River through Mon Son Commune (Con Cuong District). Next to the floating restaurants, many watercraft were parked ready to serve tourists, despite the suspension order of the local government.

Outside, the more than 100m long corrugated iron fence that the authorities had erected was also recently demolished by someone, making it easier for restaurants to welcome customers in to dine. In July 2023, after repeatedly requesting the handover of the site and pledging to dismantle illegal structures but the owners of the floating rafts did not comply, the local authorities had to erect this fence. "This fence has just been demolished, the police are investigating the culprit," said Mr. Luong Van Hoa - Chairman of the People's Committee of Mon Son Commune.

The barrier has been demolished, and the police are currently investigating the culprit. Photo: Tien Hung

The handling of violations in Pha Lai has been at a standstill for many years, as households have not complied with the requests of local authorities. Many solutions have been implemented, along with a series of dialogues between the leaders of the Con Cuong District People's Committee and the violating households, but the case has not been completely resolved. By January 2025, the chaotic situation at the Pha Lai tourist site seemed to be resolved completely, when the Con Cuong District People's Committee established an enforcement committee. But for some reason, 3 months have passed, and the enforcement has not been carried out, making the violating restaurants even more daring.

“This time we will resolutely handle it. We will not let the chaos continue. We must put this tourist site into operation in a systematic and proper manner. Since the beginning of January 2025, the District People's Committee has issued decisions to enforce the remediation of the consequences for households occupying protective forest land and non-agricultural land and request the demolition of constructions, the return of the original state of the land before the violation, and the return of the occupied land within 15 days. However, these constructions have not been dismantled yet. Therefore, the district has established an enforcement committee to come up with plans,” said Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Con Cuong District People's Committee, 3 months ago.

Meanwhile, in order to develop tourism at Pha Lai dam, put this place into orderly operation, and fully exploit its inherent potential, since 2017, Con Cuong district has called on a business to invest with commitments to create favorable conditions. This business has established a project and has been approved by the People's Committee of Nghe An province for investment policy and land allocation. The business both builds and exploits... However, the above-mentioned spontaneous private floating restaurants have been operating on the land and water surface that has been allocated to the business. This business has now had to stop providing services at this tourist destination.

Floating restaurants are still operating vigorously despite the ban. Photo: Tien Hung

Need to handle it soon

At the Dialogue Conference with tourism service businesses organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the end of March 2025, a representative of the Nghe An Tourism Association also pointed out the chaotic situation at Pha Lai tourist site.

According to the Tourism Association, after the investment policy and other related procedures were approved, the spontaneous and unauthorized floating rafts located at the Lai Ferry project wharf still existed and operated increasingly vigorously for many years, despite the suspension documents of the local government as well as departments and branches. There have been many disputes and conflicts between the rafts, affecting the ecological landscape, tourism environment and waterway safety. In recent years, many inter-sectoral inspection teams have concluded and requested to stop the operation of illegal rafts at the Lai Ferry project.

The barrier before it was broken. Photo: Tien Hung

Specifically, since June 2020, the provincial interdisciplinary inspection team has requested 3 families operating on floating rafts in the Pha Lai tourist area to stop operating 5 rafts that are not qualified to operate. By June 2022, the Department of Transport (old) issued an official dispatch stating that, "For floating rafts operating food and beverage services in the Pha Lai dam area, they are not inland waterway vehicles according to regulations and are temporary structures that have not been regulated by law regarding design, technical safety inspection, and registration of operation. It is recommended that the People's Committee of Con Cuong district direct functional forces to suspend operations and have a plan to dismantle and clear them, to ensure the safety of tourists in the Pha Lai dam area and on the Giang River".

In June 2023, the People's Committee of Con Cuong district announced and requested that "by July 10, 2023, the owners of floating rafts operating in the Pha Lai dam area must hand over the water surface area at Pha Lai dam on Giang river to the People's Committee of Con Cuong district. At the same time, the owners of floating rafts who have signed a commitment will voluntarily dismantle construction works, architectural works, supplies, materials, goods, machinery, equipment, etc. in the Pha Lai dam area before July 8, 2023. After this time, the People's Committee of the district will organize barriers to prevent people and tourists from entering this area". However, these requests were not followed by the violating households. The authorities were forced to erect barriers, but still left small entrances so that the floating restaurants could continue to welcome guests.

In December 2024, the People's Committee of Con Cuong district issued a document on the temporary suspension of receiving tourists at the Pha Lai dam area and on the Giang River. This notice clearly stated that the reception of visitors, food and beverage services, and passenger transportation by inland waterway vehicles from the Pha Lai dam area to the upstream of Khe Khang would be temporarily suspended from December 12, 2024 until further notice from the People's Committee of the district. Dismantling of construction works violating the laws on construction, land, natural resources and environment must be completed before December 20, 2024. Decisions on enforcement of remedial measures for raft houses were issued. However, the violating households once again did not comply.

The enterprise that the government called for investment in Pha Lai has had to stop operating. Photo: Tien Hung

“Although there has been progress in handling violations of rafts, issuing documents and decisions, however, the solutions of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district are still on paper without any actual action to implement the proposed contents. The rafts are still doing business despite the order to temporarily suspend operations,” said a representative of the Tourism Association. Through surveys and polls of travel partners across the province and tourists from near and far as well as tourist attractions operating in Con Cuong, it can be seen that Con Cuong tourism in general has been stagnant in the past few years, even the quantity and quality of tourism services are decreasing significantly. The reason is partly due to the impact of problems at the Pha Lai eco-tourism area, specifically the termination of illegal rafts in the Pha Lai eco-tourism area has not been thoroughly resolved, causing unstable operations.

Explaining why the decision to establish an enforcement committee was made 3 months ago but has not yet been implemented, Mr. Tran Anh Tuan - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district said that due to many changes in personnel in the past, the enforcement plan has not been implemented. "This April, after completing the personnel, we will decide to enforce violations at this tourist spot," said Mr. Tuan.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/day-dua-trong-xu-ly-vi-pham-o-diem-du-lich-pha-lai-10294473.html