Authorities in the two central highlands provinces of Lam Dong and Dak Lak have asked to stop a road project that is illegally encroaching local national parks.
Truong Son Dong Road project encroaches the Bidoup - Nui Ba National Park in Lam Dong Province
The Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee said on February 15 that they had asked the investor of the Truong Son Dong Road to stop construction on the forest land that belongs to the Bidoup - Nui Ba National Park.
"We have asked the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to co-operate with authorities in Lac Duong District and Bidoup - Nui Ba National Park to order the management board of the Project 46, an agency of the Ministry of Defence, to stop all their construction activities that are affecting the forest," the department said. "They will also have to evaluate the losses of forest resources and report to us before February 22.
According to a report from the Lam Dong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Truong Son Dong Road project has illegally cut a 3.3 kilometre-long and four-metre wide swathe through the national forest. Another 8,300 square metres of forest was also destroyed for building a related bridge.
"The management board of Project 46 has illegally encroached upon forest land when carrying out the project," the department concluded.
Earlier, authorities in the neighbouring province of Dak Lak also found that over 15.4 hectares of forest at Chu Yang Sin National Park had been destroyed for the road project.
The project also runs through Chu Yang Sin National Park in Dak Lak Province
Dak Lak had also asked the management board of Project 46 to immediately stop their illegal construction.
A representative from Project 46 said that they had halted their construction activities to complete legal procedures with local authorities.
"We were a bit hasty in our construction, because of the pressure to complete the project," the spokesperson claimed.