VietNamNet Bridge – Scientists and Quang Binh province residents are concerned that dredging of the Nhat Le river’s mouth could cause a landslide.

Dong Hoi City’s dwellers in Quang Binh province in the central region of Vietnam said they saw six large-size lighters in July, which sucked sand from the Nhat Le river mouth and then carried it away.

The Ministry of Transport has assigned Hoang Kim Viet Company to implement the project on dredging the national inland waterways at the Nhat Le estuary in Quang Binh province.

The enterprise has the right to export 2.2 million cubic meters of sand to be collected from the dredging.

The plan has been facing strong opposition from local residents and scientists, who said the dredging would cause the landslide and affect part of the Bao Ninh peninsula.

Tran Thi Hai, one of the dwellers, fears that if too much sand is taken away, the foundation of the Bao Ninh peninsula would become weaker, thus causing serious landslide.

Meanwhile, the Nhat Le beach will be in danger of soil erosion, while Bau Tro Reservoir, the main source of fresh water for Dong Hoi City and an important archaeological relic, will also be seriously affected.

“We are afraid that the villages would be swept away by floods or typhoons,” she said.

Nguyen Xon, former official of the Quang Binh provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and a leading expert in irrigation, noted that the sedimentation at the Nhat Le river mouth depends on ocean currents, while the current depends on monsoons. In other words, the places of sedimentation change regularly.

“The deep digging into the river bank will cause the sand on the beach to move to the depression, and therefore, will cause the landslide,” Xon said.

According to the expert, in 2009, Linh Thanh Investment and Trade Company suggested a project on dredging the river and collecting sand. However, the project was implemented on one hectare only, while only 30,000 cubic meters of sand were taken away.

“Under the Hoang Kim Viet Company project, the volume of sand to be taken away will be big, 2.2 million cubic meters. Therefore, the project needs thorough consideration,” Xon said.

“The dredging needs to be implemented in a way that would ensure that the riverbanks are not affected, while creating passages for ships to go in and out,” he continued.

Nguyen Ngoc Giai, also an irrigation expert in Quang Binh province, said it is necessary to consider the project carefully before making a decision, because Nhat Le is a special river, while the estuary is affected by the northeast monsoon and often suffers serious landslides.

Thien Nhien