Timely detect and strictly handle illegal exploitation and transportation of sand and gravel.

Heads of departments, branches, sectors, and district-level People's Committees shall be fully responsible before the law and the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province if there is illegal exploitation of sand and gravel from riverbeds, causing loss of resources and budget revenue related to their localities and units.

On behalf of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Tran Bao Ha has just signed a document to the Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Construction, Transport, Agriculture and Rural Development, Provincial Police, Provincial Market Management Department; People's Committees of districts, cities and towns on strengthening the management of sand and gravel mining in riverbeds in the province.

Implementing the directive documents of the Central Government, the Provincial People's Committee, and the coordination regulations between Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces in the State management of mineral exploitation, transportation and storage in border areas, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to preside over and coordinate with departments, branches and localities to review planned sand and gravel mines in the riverbed in the province, select and propose to include them in the plan for auctioning mineral exploitation rights to grant exploration and exploitation licenses to ensure balance of supply and demand of each region and area; ensure convenience and efficiency in the exploitation and use process, reduce transportation costs, especially serving traffic projects and key works in the province.

Authorities inspect a sand gathering site in Nghi Xuan district. Photo courtesy

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment shall preside over and coordinate with departments, branches and localities to strengthen the inspection of sand and gravel mining activities of units licensed to exploit minerals in the province, focusing on inspection and supervision of the scope, area of the mine area, capacity, reserves, and licensed mining methods; inspection and supervision of statistics and inventory of actual exploited mineral output according to the guidance in Circular No. 17/2020/TTBTNMT dated December 24, 2020 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment ; compliance with the permitted exploitation time; implementation of legal regulations in the impact assessment report of mining activities on ensuring the stability of river banks and riverside areas; ensuring flow circulation, flood drainage capacity, riverbed erosion, riverbank and beach erosion, decline in river water level in the dry season, and conservation of related ecosystems; handle or propose competent authorities to strictly handle violations in accordance with regulations.

The Department of Construction shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to inspect and review sand and gravel trading wharves and yards in the province; inspect the requirements for river sand and gravel wharves and yards according to regulations, the installation of weighing stations and cameras to monitor the volume of sand and gravel bought and sold at wharves and yards; strictly handle cases of law violations, and at the same time notify the suspension of operations and request the clearance of illegal river sand and gravel wharves and yards in the area according to regulations.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to fully implement measures to protect and prevent landslides and river bank and beach erosion within the protection scope of irrigation works and dikes in the province.

The Department of Transport shall preside over and coordinate with relevant departments and branches to strengthen inspection and handling of acts of gathering sand and gravel that encroach on road and waterway corridors, and means of transporting sand and gravel on rivers that do not meet the requirements on operating conditions as prescribed; and carry out the registration and inspection of watercraft as prescribed.

The provincial police direct the traffic police and economic police forces to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to strengthen patrols and inspections of the registration of names and types of vehicles and equipment used to exploit and transport sand and gravel; the installation of journey monitoring devices and the storage of data and information on the location and travel routes of vehicles and equipment used to exploit and transport sand and gravel. Promptly detect and strictly handle violations within their authority regarding illegal sand and gravel exploitation and transportation in the province.

The Provincial Market Management Department shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to strengthen inspection and review of trading activities and the use of river sand and gravel in the province; strictly handle, according to its authority, acts of buying, selling, trading, and using river sand and gravel of illegal origin.

The People's Committees of districts, towns and cities continue to maintain hotlines to receive information reflecting on illegal mining and transportation of minerals in the management area; direct the interdisciplinary working group to strengthen inspection, supervision and prevention of illegal sand and gravel mining activities immediately after detection or receipt of reports; promptly handle violations strictly according to the provisions of law; in cases exceeding the authority, promptly report to the Provincial People's Committee for handling according to the provisions of law. At the same time, direct the People's Committees of communes, wards and towns to implement measures to protect unexploited riverbed sand and gravel minerals; strengthen propaganda, dissemination and education of mineral laws, mobilize local people not to exploit, gather, trade and transport sand and gravel illegally; review and resolutely eliminate all illegal riverbed sand and gravel gathering sites; illegal sand trading points in the management area...

Timely detect and strictly handle illegal exploitation and transportation of sand and gravel.