Ba Be Lake, located in the northern province of Bac Kan, is facing serious pollution problems resulting from unrestricted ore exploration.
Waste water from Pu O polluting the lake
Hundreds of residents in Quang Trach and Dong Lac Communes, in Cho Doi District, have sent petitions to state agencies requesting them to take measures to save the lake.
They claim that the Pu O-Khuoi and Giang Dong Lac iron ores mines, operated by Narihamico Joint Stock Company, have been polluting the environment, negatively impacting their lives since exploration began two years ago.
Pu O mine is located along Khuoi Giang stream, which flows into Ba Be Lake. Mining activities there have resulted in the accumulation of soil adjacent to the stream, affecting the water quality of both stream and lake.
When informed about the situation, a group of activists, including Dr. Dang Vinh Cu, Dr. Dang Hung Vo, Dr. Truong Van La, along with Poet Duong Thuan and Journalist Do Doan Hoang, made a trip to the site to see for themselves.
According to Do Doan Hoang, they succeeded in getting the Chairman of Bac Kan Provincial People’s Committee to pledge to inspect Pu O mine.
This mine has been operating under the approval of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said Dang Hung Vo. But he added that they have not been in compliance with their environmental protection commitments. They have yet tbuilt any waste treatment system, and discharged their untreated waste directly into the water.
Mr. Nong Tien Dien, Director of Ba Be National Park said that he had not been informed before the mine was approved, and that the mining activity has been encroaching on the park’s “buffer zone”.
He added that mine explosions are taking place inside the park’s core area.
Two more companies will soon get approval for similar activities.
Over the past years much of the forests covering in the mountains that surround Ba Be Lake have been cleared, said Dr. Dang Vinh Cu. This has lead to erosion, which is adding to the destruction of the lake, he noted.
In the past 40 years, three out of six lakes along Nang River, including Pe Tau in Cao Thuong commune, Pe Vai and Pe Nan in Khang Ninh commune have been filled in.
Streams transport waste and soil to the lake
Exploration activities inside the park
Ba Be Lake is slowly being filled in
