Up to 53,000 square metres of Nha Trang Bay in the central province of Khanh Hoa have been illegally encroached upon by three tourism projects.

Nha Trang Sao Company's project encroaches 23,000 square metres of the Nha Trang Bay

The information was given by the provincial people’s committee following Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh’s instruction to inspect the encroachment of tourism projects. 

Hon Rua Eco-tourism Company's project to combine eco-tourism and seaweed plantation illegally used 12,900 square metres of the bay. The investor was fined VND175 million (USD7,954) for the violation and requested to remove the construction on the encroached area. However, it wasn't until April 13 this year that the removal was completed to restore the bay area.

Champarama Travel JS Company's 44-hectare resort & spa infringed more than 17,500 square metres of the bay area and the local authorities fined the investor VND105 million for this.

Meanwhile, Nha Trang Sao Company’s cultural, entertainment and sports park used 23,000 square metres. The firm was fined VND200 million for the violation. To date, the company has not yet restored the encroached area to the bay.

On January 19 this year, Khanh Hoa Province’s Department of Planning and Investment issued a decision to stop the project’s operation due to the sluggish implementation and the investor’s slowdown in dealing with the encroachment. However, the company transferred the project to another firm managed by Hong Kim Yen.

Yen sent petitions to provincial Department of Planning and Investment and the people’s committee, saying that the project encroachment was caused by the old investor, so she asked the authorities to allow the project to continue its operation.

To date, the final decision on the project has not yet been made.

Chairman of Khanh Hoa People’s Committee Le Duc Vinh urged the local departments of construction and natural resources and environment to pay special attention to coastal tourism projects to prevent sea encroachment.

Nguoi Lao Dong/Dtinews