BẮC NINH – Dredging the river bed and trading in agricultural products on the Cầu and Đuống rivers will be banned, the northern province of Bắc Ninh’s People’s Committee has reported.

Because the dam system on the rivers crossing the two provinces of Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang has been weakened, relevant offices had to keep close control of these dam systems, according to Bắc Ninh authorities.

The Bắc Ninh People’s Committee has asked the Việt Nam Inland Waterways Administration to stop all activities of the Giang Linh Transport and Trading Ltd Co, and other joint-stock companies that were involved in dredging the river bed and trading on the two rivers.     

Erosion has recently occurred in the area, reportedly related to the river bed dredging activity.

The administration was required to discuss and report regularly to Bắc Ninh authorities about inspection results of waterways projects. The granting of licenses for waterway projects must be approved by the provincial People’s Committee chairman.     

Recently, the river dredging of individual companies has become an urgent matter to local people.

Inspections would be strengthened over the coming period to discover and deal with cases of sand-exploitation. Bắc Ninh authorities reported that strict punishments would be applied to any individual, organisation or company found illegally taking sand or found violating other waterway laws.

In 2015, Bắc Ninh Province police discovered about 100 cases of illegal sand exploitation.    

In the first quarter of this year, 18 cases were discovered. Police seized three ships owned by a group of local people that were exploiting sand from the Cầu River bed in Quế Võ District’s Đào Viên Commune on March, 17-18.-- VNS