Urgently resolve the overlap between sand mines and the Song Dinh 3 reservoir project

The 19.9-hectare sand mine in Tan Ha commune of Minh Phat Company was approved by the Provincial People's Committee for the planning of mineral exploration and exploitation for common construction materials in the period of 2016 - 2020, with a vision to 2030. This project currently overlaps with the DN6 canal - a level I canal belonging to the investment project to build the Dinh 3 reservoir in Ham Tan district.

Comrade Phan Van Dang (wearing a conical hat) and other departments and branches inspected the situation in Tan Ha commune.

Through the review of the authorities, the DN6 canal has about 469 m (an area of about 1 ha) passing through the sand mining project of Minh Phat Company. At present, this overlapping area of 1 ha belongs to both the mineral planning and the irrigation planning. Due to the overlapping planning, the Provincial People's Committee has not granted a mining license to Minh Phat Company according to the report of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment proposed two options and sent them to the relevant departments and the People's Committee of Ham Tan district for comments. Option 1 is to remove the 1-hectare area overlapping the canal from the sand mine area and grant the company a license to exploit an area of 18.9 hectares. Accordingly, Minh Phat Company will adjust the relevant documents (approval of reserves, environment, investment policy, rights granting fee, etc.) and send them to the competent authority for appraisal and submission to the Provincial People's Committee for re-approval. Option 2 is to grant the company a mineral exploitation license for the entire 19.9-hectare mine area; then the canal will be adjusted out of the mine area or the canal will be retained but will be invested in construction after the Company finishes exploiting and handing over the land for local implementation.

In Tan Ha, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and leaders of relevant departments and branches and the Ham Tan District People's Committee inspected the overlapping location and used measuring equipment to accurately verify the location and area. After the actual inspection and listening to reports from relevant units, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Phan Van Dang emphasized that the main reason for this overlapping situation was that some functional branches of the province and the Ham Tan District People's Committee had not closely reviewed to participate in giving comments on planning and appraising project documents.

To resolve the project overlap, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee assigned the People's Committee of Ham Tan district to preside over, review, and coordinate with relevant departments, branches, and Minh Phat Company to hold a meeting to select the most optimal solution; the choice of which solution must comply with legal regulations. During that process, leaders of departments and branches are required to directly work and give opinions for early resolution. On the other hand, Ham Tan district and relevant departments and branches must rectify the advisory work to avoid similar overlaps.

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