VietNamNet Bridge – It was difficult to prevent people from illegally panning for gold in local waterways despite regular awareness raising activities by authorities, which could threaten the local environment, said Tay Giang District People's Committee Chairman Bhling Mia.

So far there had been little environmental damage from illegal exploitation because it was being conducted on a small scale, he said.

However, in central Quang Nam Province mountainous districts such as Tay Giang and Dong Giang, local residents have reportedly been panning for gold for years to boost their incomes.

A lang Nhut, from Tay Giang District's Bhalle Commune told Nong thon ngay nay (Countryside Today) newspaper that his family of four earned about VND2 million (US$100) for four days of panning for gold.

He said his family spent about seven months per year on the river searching for gold and farmed for the rest of the year.

"When there is no longer gold here, we will move," he said.

A lang Thi Nhien, 23, a mother of four, said they could only pan for gold during the farming down time.

"We earn more from the extra-work than from farming," she said.

Commune official A lang Thuong said the gold panners usually worked in areas which had been previously exploited.

"They work together to pan for the precious metal to improve their living conditions. Most of them are from the Cotu ethnic minority group and have to deal with an unsteady income," he said.

Commune People's Committee chairman Poloong Lien said the commune had implemented support policies to help the locals take advantage of their farming down time, such as encouraging them to weave and plant rubber trees. Creating alternatives for the local people was expected to give them an option besides panning for gold to stabilise their lives, he said.

Hundreds of migrants, reportedly from the northern provinces of Nam Dinh and Ha Nam, and central Thanh Hoa Province, are camped out along Vang River in Dong Giang District to pan for gold.

Gold exploiters have even tried to expand their operations by buying gardens from local residents.

Everyday, Nuoc My River is muddied with the grit released by people panning for gold, reports Nong thon ngay nay.

Other springs and rivers in the districts of Phuoc Son and Hiep Duc were dealing with similar circumstances.

Director of the province's Natural Resources and Environment Department Duong Chi Cong said that authorities at lower levels, including districts and communes, gave gold exploiters the green-light in exchange for a small fee to add to the local budget.

There are currently 113 licences permitting mineral exploration and exploitation in the province.

Most of the projects are based in jungles and mountainous areas and use substandard waste water treatment systems.

After being stored for a short time in simple tanks, the water used to clean ore is released directly into the river system. Consequently, the rivers have been polluted with cyanide, a toxin used to leach gold from the soil, the newspaper reports.

Mining firms have reportedly deforested and opened roads without permission, including limited companies Phuoc Minh, Nam Mai and Ha Thang, which have been fined VND100 million ($5,000) each for their violations.

Ho Van Phen, chairman of Phuoc Thanh Commune in Phuoc Son District said that illegal exploitation would only stop with more inspections. However, the problem was hard for the commune authority to control because of staff shortage and distance.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News