Dong Nai Province authorities on Friday called a halt to reclamation of the Dong Nai River for construction of housing.

A document issued by the People's Committee said the suspension would enable it to seek opinions from the ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Construction on the legality of the project and its possible environmental impacts.

A People's Committee official told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that Toan Thinh Phat Investment – Architect – Construction JSC, the developer reclaiming the land, had asked to suspend work until the issue was fully resolved.

Dong Nai authorities had approved the suspension just because it "respected the investor's proposal," he said.

On Friday, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen wrote to the provincial authorities saying the project investors should have sought the opinion of the council for environmental protection of the Dong Nai River basin, and especially local authorities in the basin, before going ahead with the reclamation.

At a monthly press briefing by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) on March 27, another deputy minister, Nguyen Thai Lai, said, "This project must abide by the Law on Water Resources."

"We never received any official information about the project from Dong Nai authorities".

Hoang Van Bay, head of MoNRE's Department for Water Resources Management, concurred, saying, "We never received any documents related to this project."

Bay said the project would reclaim 7.7ha from the river while another area of it is located in the Dong Nai River corridor.

In a dispatch to Dong Nai authorities on the same day, Tuyen said water from the river played an important role in the socio-economic development of 11 cities and provinces in its basin, supplying clean water to millions of people living in its lower reaches.

The investors should have considered the possible impacts the project could have on the environment, he said.

The press briefing came a few days after the Ha Noi-based Viet Nam River Network said reclaiming such a large area would critically interfere with the river's hydrology and ecology as well as the local economy and society, and called for cancelling the project.

In 2009 the province had approved a report titled "Dong Nai River's water flow impact assessment from Hoa An to Ghenh bridge" done by the Irrigation University's Irrigation and Environment Institute. The report said reclaiming land 100m into the river from shore would not change the water flow or have any adverse impact. 

NA Committee questions Dong Nai leaders on river encroaching project

A group of officials from the National Assembly Committee of Science, Technology and Environment on Saturday grilled the People’s Committee of the southern province of Dong Nai on a project transgressing Dong Nai River to make room for an urban area project.

The NA committee asked relevant sides to report the case to the NA officials. They will consider procedures and the process of approving the project, see how environment and water resource laws have been abided by and make a field trip to construction site.

Earlier, investor Toan Thinh Phat Company had proposed the province People’s Committee to temporarily halt the project. This is to get opinions from Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Construction on social and environmental impacts.

The people’s committee approved the proposal on March 27 and will be responsible for inviting ministries to investigate controversial issues.

Dong Nai licensed the urban area project, which broke ground September last year with a total capital of VND3.2 trillion (US$148.61 million) in Bien Hoa city. Over 7.7 hectares of the 8.4 hectare project come from filling up Dong Nai River. The rest area locates on the corridor to protect the river water source.

The project comprising a trade center, houses, five star hotels, office buildings and parks along 1.3 kilometers of the Dong Nai River has raised objections from the public, experts and scientists.

Officials warn about danger of Dong Nai River encroachment project

Encroachment of a land development along the Dong Nai River could threaten the lives of local residents and the safety of a nearby bridge as the flow of the river is altered over time, several officials said.

The project, for scenery upgrading and urban development along the banks of the Dong Nai River, was approved by the Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee on September 13, 2009. It is expected to cost VND300bn and cover 15ha, affecting 7ha of riverbank.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen said the provincial government had based its assessments on insufficient information, and needs further research by relevant agencies under the Ministry Natural Resources and Environment.

“Due to the lack of a dyke, stone and soil would further flow into the river and may cause serious consequences in the future,” he warned.

Le Manh Hung, deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Water Resource Department, said the project encroaches as much as 7.7ha on the river and will result in considerable change to the river’s flow.

“We’ve yet to receive any proposal for the project by the provincial government. We really need more comprehensive environmental and flood assessment on the project,” Hung said.

He said the project was approved on the basis of inadequate consideration and assessment by relevant authorities.

“The river encroachment would cause serious consequences on the long term. If no measures are timely taken to prevent the construction it would cost much more to deal with the aftermath,” Hung said.

Hung said he agreed with a proposal by the the Vietnam River Network (VRN) that the provincial government withdraw the construction license of the project.

VNS/SGGP/Dtinews