Illegal mineral exploitation rampant in Phu Tho province
Illegal exploitation of minerals continues in some districts in the northern mountainous province of Phu Tho, including Doan Hung, Thanh Thuy, Thanh Son and Phu Tho town, causing concern among residents.
Miners illegally exploit kaolin after buying land from a resident of Bang Doan commune in Phu Tho province’s Doan Hung district (Photo: baophutho.vn)
Phu Tho (VNS/VNA) -Illegal exploitation of minerals continues in some districts in the northernmountainous province of Phu Tho, including Doan Hung, Thanh Thuy, Thanh Son andPhu Tho town, causing concern among residents.
Residents in Thanh Son district’s Dong Cuu communehave complained that their lives are being affected by illegal miningactivities.
Phan Huy Bien, Vice Chairman of Dong Cuu CommunePeople’s Committee, said some 20 trucks used the road every day, causing airand noise pollution.
As a result, the main road running through thecommune is severely damaged, threatening traffic safety.
The prevalence of illegal mining was attributed tolow awareness of residents on mineral exploitation activities and loosemanagement of the local authorities.
Some residents are willing to sell their landfor a sum of money, and illegal miners take advantage of their naivety to earnhuge profits.
Using this trick, thousands of cubic metres ofkaolin and talc ore have been extracted and transported out of the province byminers.
Nguyen Xuan Toan, head of the Mineral ManagementOffice under the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment,has acknowledged the problem.
He said the department had proposed theprovincial People’s Committee to improve the management of mining activities,including increasing supervision and inspection to prevent illegal mineralexploitation and requesting mining enterprises to recover environmental andother damages caused by mining activities.
Bien said the local authority would continue adissemination campaign to raise awareness of the local people on environmentalprotection and encourage them to report violations to authorisedagencies.-VNS/VNA
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Miners illegally exploit kaolin after buying land from a resident of Bang Doan commune in Phu Tho province’s Doan Hung district (Photo: baophutho.vn) 
