VietNamNet Bridge - More than 20 hectares of protective forests around the Da Mi hydropower reservoir in Binh Thuan province have been cleared in just the last two months. Meanwhile, agencies have blamed each other.

 

More than 20 hectares of protective forests have been cleared in just the last two months.

Reporters followed the steps of K, a local man who acted as a guide, to the protective forest area on a day in late November. Forestland areas became empty as trees were either cut down or burned, while there were only stumps and branches left which turned black after being burned. Sections of tree trunks were seen lying in an area just 500 meters away from the Forest Protection Station No 3. 

More than 20 hectares of protective forests around the Da Mi hydropower reservoir in Binh Thuan province have been cleared in just the last two months. Meanwhile, agencies have blamed each other.

K said illegal loggers often go to the forests chopping down trees at 4-7 am and 4-7 pm. 

“Trees all were cut down with a sawing machine. Everyone can hear the noise from the machines. Only forest rangers cannot,” he said.

A local man said a group of dozens of illegal loggers from Tanh Linh district specialize in chopping down trees in the protective forests. It is estimated that 20 hectares of protective forests in the Da Mi Reservoir have been destroyed.

“The group is headed by some men from Da Mi Commune,” he said.

Another man said that about 20-30 illegal loggers fell trees regularly. “They work in shifts. They go here on boats from Da Bo Bridge,” he said.

However, while local residents all know who the illegal loggers are, the local authorities and forest rangers say they don’t know, though Station No 3 and Da Mi Station are located nearby. The forests have been cut down over the last two months, but the agencies seemingly have not reported about this.

Ho Quang Dao, head of the Da Mi Station, admitted that the station’s officers recently heard noise from sawing machines and discovered that many trees had been felled. However, Dao said this was not an area put under Da Mi Station’s control, so he cannot take action in this case.

What Dao could do was make a call to the appropriate agencies in Ham Thuan Bac district.

“The area belongs to the Ham Thuan Bac district,” he said, adding that the La Nga Protective Forest Management Board is not in charge of controlling the area.

Meanwhile, the Ham Thuan – Da Mi Protective Forest Management Board told reporters that the devastated forestland is not an area under the board’s management.

Van Thanh Ky Sang, deputy head of the management board, said that the area was put under the commune authorities’ control.

 

Dat Viet