Illegal dredging robs residents of land

Illegal sand dredging has caused severe erosion to the banks of Tien River, threatening the lives, farmland and houses of hundreds of families there.

Everyday since the beginning of the rainy season, hundreds of vessels, some with loads of 100\'s of tonnes, have extracted sand without permission from the river, particularly in the section from Cao Lanh City to Tan Hong District.

Le Van Phuc of Tan Phu A Commune in Thanh Binh District said: "We used to have 2.5 cong (1 cong is 1,000sq.m) of farmland under fruit and rice cultivation, but a large part of our land has collapsed into the river. Now we are left with only a small land plot, not enough to provide for our six family members."

Because of the land he had lost from illegal sand exploitation, he now had to work for other people to get enough to feed the family, Phuc said.

Le Van Lam of Tan Quoi Commune in Thanh Binh District said he had also lost some hundred square meters of land from erosion.

Pointing at the river, he said: "The middle of the Tien River is where my house used to be."

"I narrowly escaped three times, and moved my house eight times because of erosion.

"I don\'t know when the erosion will stop," he added.

The asphalt road that runs beside the river, to link the five island communes of Tan Long, Tan Binh, Tan Hue, Tan Hoa ø and Tan Quoi in Thanh Binh District, has also collapsed in sections because of erosion.

Vo Van Ga of Tan Binh Commune in Thanh Binh District said many motorbikes and people had fallen into the river at night.

Hundreds of households on the five island communes had had to move their houses more than once, Ga said, adding that some people had lost all their land and could only stay thanks to the grace of their neighbours.

Vo Minh Tam, deputy director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Dong Thap Province, said provincial police last year fined 151 illegal sand exploiters VND294 million (US$15,420).

Sand exploitation had continued, however, because the small fines of less than VND2 million were not enough to be a deterrent, Tam said.

He said educating people about the consequences of sand dredging was more important than punishing them.

The provincial People\'s Committee has recently established an inspection team to control the dredging.

The team will conduct random inspections of companies such as Tram Chim Construction Ltd Co in Tam Nong District, Ngu Binh Co in Hong Ngu District and Bong Hong Co in Sa Dec Town.