When are shipping lanes and waterways urgently dredged?

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has just issued a Circular detailing a number of articles of Decree No. 57/2024 of the Government on the management of dredging activities in seaport waters and inland waterway waters.

A notable point in the new Circular (effective from January 1, 2025) is the specific regulation related to emergency dredging of public shipping channels and inland waterways.

In which, emergency dredging is carried out in the following order: Deciding on emergency dredging; Organizing the implementation of emergency dredging; Organizing the preparation and completion of project completion records; Payment and settlement of the project.

The decision to urgently dredge public shipping channels and inland waterways will be issued by the Vietnam Maritime Administration or the Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration and implemented by the investor (Photo: Chanaco).

Specifically, within 3 working days from the date of occurrence of natural disasters, unexpected accidents, incidents on the waterway, the maritime port authority (for public waterways), the regional inland waterway management agency (for national inland waterways) shall preside over and coordinate with the public waterway management and operation unit, the national inland waterway maintenance unit, to survey, make a preliminary assessment of the level of emergency and report to the Vietnam Maritime Administration or the Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration to carry out emergency dredging.

The report includes the developments, scope, and level of impact of natural disasters, unexpected accidents, incidents on waterways that cause congestion, obstruction to maritime traffic, inland waterways, or other force majeure events.

Purpose of dredging; dredging area and scope; dredging time; official dredging material receiving area and location or temporary dredging material receiving and staging area approved by competent authority.

Within 5 working days from the date of receiving the report, the Vietnam Maritime Administration or the Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration shall synthesize the information, estimated dredging costs and other relevant necessary requirements (if any), and report to the Ministry of Transport for consideration and decision to approve the emergency dredging policy.

Within 3 working days from the date of receipt of the report, the Ministry of Transport shall issue a written approval of the emergency dredging policy. In case of disapproval, a written response stating the reasons shall be issued.

Based on the approval of the policy of the Ministry of Transport, the Vietnam Maritime Administration or the Vietnam Inland Waterways Administration issues a decision on emergency dredging.

These two agencies will perform the responsibilities of the person with the authority to decide on investment, the authority of the investor according to the provisions of the law on construction and will decide on the work in emergency dredging activities.

The decisions include: Decision on selecting organizations and individuals to carry out survey, design, dredging construction and other necessary works for emergency dredging works; decision on the order of survey, design and dredging construction; decision on supervision of dredging construction and acceptance of works meeting the requirements of the Emergency dredging Decision; sending documents to the Provincial People's Committee for coordination during the implementation of the dredging project.

Based on the decision to urgently dredge public shipping channels and inland waterways, the investor selects a capable and experienced contractor to immediately implement the bidding packages of the emergency dredging project in accordance with the provisions of the law on bidding.

The investor directs relevant units to organize surveys and measurements to hand over the site (including the dredging site and the location of dumping dredged material) to the construction contractor to organize the implementation of the project.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/luong-hang-hai-duong-thuy-duoc-nao-vet-khan-cap-khi-nao-192241204181037737.htm