MARD wants power project halted
The MARD has proposed Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc suspend a project on hydropower plants in the Central Highlands Province of Dak Lak to protect the local environment and wild animals.
A section of the Serepok River that runs through Yok Don National Park may dry up as an effect of climate change.(Source: VNA)The ministry said in a statement that the construction of Drang Phok hydropower plant in Yok Don National Park could affect the environment.
To build the plant, nearly 53 ha of forest will be cut down and another 10ha of forest will be cleared for temporary use.
The operation of the plant would directly affect the habitat of wild animals, particularly elephants and tigers, the ministry said.
The construction of a dam will interfere with the water flow of the Serepok River, leaving an impact on its ecological system and aquatic species.
The building and operation of the plant would hamper forest protection and efforts to preserve the biodiversity of Yok Don National Park, the ministry said.
An increase in water levels in the plant’s reservoir would also facilitate the illegal transport of wood from the park, it said.
The planned plant will cover more than 308 hectares, including nearly 24 hectares of dipterocarp forest in the core area of Yok Don National Park.
The plant, with total investment of 850 billion VND (38 million USD), would have a designed capacity of 26MW.
The construction is scheduled to be implemented by the New Technology Application and Construction Investment Corporation. The corporation is reported to have hired a consultant to report on the project’s environmental impact.
According to the MARD, the Central Highlands has seen serious loss of forest coverage in the past five years (about 6 percent).
The loss of forest coverage, coupled with the effects of climate change, has harmed the lives of locals as well as socio-economic development in the region, the ministry said.-VNA
You should also see
Investor confidence gains traction on improved business climate
Better investment climate, with simplified administrative producers and special incentives, has helped improve investor confidence, thus catalysing investments from a wider pool of both domestic and international investors for socio-economic development.
See more
Society
Exhibition offers insight into Vietnam in the 1930s
An exhibition themed ‘Sofia Yablonska -The lifetime journey through the century’ opened in Hanoi recently as an event to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Ukraine.
Society
Vietnam, India boost education cooperation
The Indian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City held the India-Vietnam Meet in Education Sector, themed “InnovEdu: Training and Partnership” on April 24.
Society
Victims in southwestern border defence war commemorated
A ceremony was held in the town of Ba Chuc, Tri Ton district, the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on April 24 to commemorate people massacred by the Pol Pot genocidal regime in 1978 during the southwestern border defence war.
Society
Quang Ngai: Traditional ceremony honours ancient Hoang Sa flotilla
An annual ceremony commemorating sailors of the historic Hoang Sa (Paracel) flotilla took place in the communal house of An Vinh village, Ly Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, on April 24.
Society
Ben Tre presses ahead with combating IUU fishing
The coastal Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre is pushing its efforts in preventing and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, preparing to work with the EC inspection team for the 5th time.
