Pagodas and temples have been illegally built in the forest area. Photo tienphong.vn

HÀ NỘI The KOVA Tourism Joint Stock Company, investor of Bạc Waterfall-Sao Stream tourism area in Hà Nội, has built and renovated six structures without approval from authorities.

The violations were revealed after an investigation by Hà Nội’s Construction Department.

Earlier media reported that a series of pagodas and temples had been built in the forests in two communes of Yên Bình and Yên Trung of Thạch Thất District.

The inspection team reported to the municipal People’s Committee that the KOVA Company committed violations on construction and the information reported by the media was correct.

The newly built structures are Ngọc Hoàng Gate, a security house, a restroom. Other renovated structures include the Tứ Trấn Temple.

The team also discovered six other structures in the tourism area that are not in the list managed by the Thạch Thất District’s People’s Committee.

The Thạch Thất District’s People’s Committee was blamed for lacking supervision.

The KOVA Company admitted their violations on land use and management, and pledged to deal with the issues.

Inspectors ordered the Thạch Thất District’s People’s Committee to ask the violator to dismantle the buildings.

The company was also told to stop construction of pagodas and temples in the forest.

The KOVA Company started investment in Bạc Waterfall-Sao Stream tourism area which covered 59.2ha, in 2002. The project was then located in Yên Trung Commune, Lương Sơn District, Hòa Bình Province before the commune was merged into Hà Nội’s administrative boundary.

The tourism area was open in June 2007.

Hòa Bình Province’s People’s Committee gave a nod to the area’s expansion proposal in 2008, increasing the area to 233ha.

The land lot for expansion is in the forest.

The project’s expansion was suspended in 2008 when Yên Trung and Yên Bình communes were merged into Hà Nội’s boundary.

The project’s expansion is still waiting for the local authorities’ approval but the KOVA Company constructed buildings without any official permission. VNS