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.

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 the border area, 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 the 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 sand storage area in Nghi Xuan district. Photo: Archive

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 exploitation 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 exploitation methods; inspection and supervision of statistics and inventory of actual exploited mineral output according to the instructions 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 provisions in the impact assessment report of exploitation activities on ensuring the stability of river banks and riverside areas; ensuring the circulation of water flow, the ability to drain and drain floods, erosion of river beds, erosion of river banks and beaches, decline in river water level in the dry season, and conservation of related ecosystems; handle or propose competent authorities to strictly handle violations according to regulations.

The Department of Construction shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to inspect and review sand and gravel trading yards in the province; inspect the requirements for river sand and gravel yards and yards according to regulations, the installation of weighing stations and cameras to monitor the volume of sand and gravel bought and sold at the yards and yards; strictly handle cases of law violations, and at the same time notify the cessation of operations and request clearance of illegal river sand and gravel yards 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 riverbank and beach erosion within the scope of protection 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 encroaching 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, 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 activities 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 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 interdisciplinary working groups to strengthen inspection, supervision and prevention of illegal sand and gravel mining activities immediately after detection or receipt of reports; promptly and strictly handle violations according to the provisions of law; in cases exceeding 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 illegally mine, gather, trade and transport sand and gravel; review and resolutely eliminate all illegal riverbed sand and gravel gathering sites; illegal sand trading points in the management area...

PV