Illegal sand dredging fleet rampages on Thach Han River

Night witnessed "sand bandits" rampage

By understanding the operating rules, on the night of April 19, Quang Tri Newspaper reporters and colleagues approached the illegal sand mining area on Thach Han River, in Ward 1 and An Don Ward. As soon as they found a parking space on Nguyen Hoang Street, a few hundred meters from the riverbank, the reporters heard the loud engine noise coming from the illegal sand dredging ship.

Two ships were illegally dredging sand on the Thach Han River, about 150 meters from Ga Bridge, late at night on April 19 - Photo: Quang Hai

Arriving at the bank of Thach Han River in Ward 1 at 11 p.m., the reporter observed two ships pumping sand from the bottom of the river. The area where the ships were operating was only about 150 meters from Ga Bridge, next to Thach Han Bridge. The loud engine noise, the sound of sand and gravel hitting the metal trough was so deafening that it tore through the night, shattering the peace of the river. The ship was about 30 to 40 meters long, with about 4 to 5 people operating the machines to carry out the sand pumping steps. Occasionally, the subjects turned on flashlights to do the necessary work on the ship. The voices of the people on the ship mixed with the sound of the engine echoing in the night.

A ship illegally dredges sand on the Thach Han River in the early morning of April 20 - Photo: Quang Hai

In less than 30 minutes, the sand had been sucked up into the ship's holds. When the ship was full, it went upstream to suck up the sand to the staging area on the shore about 500 meters away. About 30 minutes later, the two ships followed each other back to the old location. To see more clearly the sand-sucking stages of the "sand bandits", the reporter decided to follow these ships when they were "full of sand" and returned to the staging area.

At 1:05 a.m. on April 20, reporters were present at the area opposite the sand gathering site on the other side of the river. Two sand dredgers arrived at the shore one after another, and the technical steps to pump sand onto the beach were quickly carried out. It took about 25 to 30 minutes for all the sand on the ships to be brought to the gathering site. Once finished, the ships quickly returned to the old location to pump sand.

After filling the hold, the ships docked to dredge sand onto the staging area late on April 20 - Photo: Quang Hai

While monitoring the operation of these two ships, the reporter discovered two other ships dredging sand from the riverbed opposite the staging area. These two ships also operated by the method of filling their holds, then docking to suck sand onto the beach, then returning to midstream, lowering their hoses to the riverbed... Just like that, it took about an hour for the ships to complete a sand dredging trip. It was not until 4am that the ships stopped operating. With such an operation, it is estimated that each night a ship can suck up hundreds of cubic meters of sand, earning tens of millions of dong.

The illegal sand mining area is eroding the riverbank.

On the night of April 20, reporters continued to be present at the banks of the Thach Han River and witnessed the rampage of "sand bandits". People living close to the riverbank, in Quarter 1, Ward 1 said that these ships have been operating for about half a month now. People have reported the incident to the residential group and ward many times, but no one has taken action, the subjects are still brazenly illegally mining sand. "Regularly from around 10:30 pm today to around 4 am the next morning is the time when the ships operate to mine sand on the river. There are about 4 to 6 sand mining ships every night. The loud engine noise all night long makes it impossible for me to sleep," a resident reported.

The sand gathering area along the Thach Han River is lit up red, the sound of machines operating loudly all night long - Photo: Quang Hai

After recording all the images of the scene at night, on the morning of April 21, the reporter returned to the area where the ships had illegally dredged sand to record more. On the riverbank in front of the sand gathering area located behind the An Don Ward People's Committee headquarters, there were 6 ships equipped with sand-suctioning machines anchored. Among them were two large ships, about 30 - 40 m long. At the sites, sand and gravel were gathered into large piles, estimated at thousands of cubic meters.

Close-up of the sand gathering area behind the An Don Ward People's Committee headquarters. This stretch of river is also where "sand bandits" operate - Photo: Quang Hai

On the riverbank in Quarter 1, An Don Ward, about 150 meters from Ga Bridge, reporters saw a landslide eating deep into people's corn fields. Underneath the layer of reeds is a deep, dangerous cliff. Mr. NNNh (70 years old) said that he has lived here since he was a child, so witnessing the riverbank increasingly eroded makes him heartbroken. "Before, the riverbank was gentle, people walked out to bathe every afternoon, but now no one goes there for fear of falling into the abyss. The landslide is ultimately due to sand dredging. If the government does not take measures, it will not be long before people's fields no longer exist," Mr. Nhan said worriedly.

The press reflects that the new government has information.

Speaking to reporters on the morning of April 21, Vice Chairman of An Don Ward People's Committee Bui Van Giao affirmed that the section of Thach Han River under the ward's management does not have any licensed sand and gravel mines, only sand gathering sites of some businesses.

Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Tri town, Le Phuoc Chuong, also confirmed that there are no licensed sand and gravel mines on the Thach Han River flowing through the area. Regarding the sand gathering area mentioned above, Mr. Chuong said that there are 5 sites owned by 5 different businesses and individuals.

When asked about the issue of illegal sand mining on the Thach Han River, Mr. Chuong said he had not received any complaints from residents or wards. “We only learned about it through the press, but we have not heard any information about this issue,” Mr. Chuong said.

Mr. Chuong said he will soon submit a document to advise the leaders of Quang Tri town on a plan for inspection and handling.

“The department, in its advisory role, will report to the town People’s Committee to direct the People’s Committees of communes and wards managing the river section to strengthen inspection work. If there is any illegal sand mining, it will be reported to the provincial police for handling,” said Mr. Chuong.

Quang Hai

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/doi-tau-hut-cat-lau-hoanh-hanh-tren-dong-thach-han-193110.htm