Rampant violations at hydropower projects in Lai Chau

Various violations have been found in the licensing of small and medium-scaled hydropower plants in Lai Chau Province.

Various violations have been found in the licensing of small and medium-scaled hydropower plants in Lai Chau Province.

 

Muong Kim 2 Hydropower Project

Lai Chau has the biggest number of small and medium-sized hydropower plants in Vietnam. Since 2004, up to 71 projects have been approved in Lai Chau, 20 of which were completed and went into operation. However, investors of many projects have violated the regulations such as starting construction without permits and caused damage to residential houses or protective forest.

Nguyen Van Bien, head of Lai Chau Forest Protection Department, said six projects were being reviewed as they encroached upon the protective forest and plantations.

Projects that have to ask for governmental permission to adjust the project area are Nam Cum 1, Nam Cum 2, Nam Cum 3 hydropower plants and Nam Cuoi Hydropower Plant. Nam Cum 3 project encroached upon over 16ha plantations and Nam Cuoi project encroached over 13ha of protective forest and plantations. Nam Cum 1 encroached upon 1.5ha of plantations and 6.09 of protective forest. Nam Cum 2 encroached 5ha into plantations and protective forest.

Those projects were approved in prior to 2015, before the Directive 13 about protection, management and development over forestland was issued on January 12, 2017.

Muong Kim 2 Hydropower Plant has a designed capacity of 10.5MW and invested by Than Uyen Company on Nam Kim Stream. In order to transfer the water from Nam Kim Stream to the project's water pipes, the contractor dug a tunnel under National Highway 32 without permission from the Vietnam Road Directorate.

Le Xuan Anh, head of the inspectorate of the Department of Transport said, "This project has been through three investors already. It was given a permit to dig a tunnel previously but the contractor dug at the wrong location so there were problems. Now they have to ask for a permit again but there's no response."

In June, the inspectorate already reported, fined and asked the investor of Muong Kim 2 to halt the construction of the plant and the construction near National Highway 32. However, the orders were ignored. Muong Kim 2 has gone into operation.

An employee from the Traffic Infrastructure Management Office, under Lai Chau Department of Transport, said an inspection team checked on the project in June and fined the investor. The investor then submitted a letter to the Vietnam Road Directorate to ask for permission to build the tunnel.

When being asked why the project was still constructed and completed despite the fine and ban, he said it was not under their management responsibilities.