HCMC wants 27 million m3 of sand mined for reclamation project

HCMC wants to extract 10 sand mines at the Can Gio sea region, totaling 27 million m3 of sand, for a reclamation urban tourism area project.

The plan was stated in a document sent to the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the HCMC People’s Committee. The business approved for sand mining, and also the project’s main investor, is Can Gio Tourist City company.

The Can Gio reclamation urban area has been approved for expansion from 600 ha to 2,870 ha. The area would be constructed in Long Hoa Commune and Can Thanh Town, at a cost estimated to be at over VND76 trillion ($3.14 billion).

Previously, from 2006 to 2019, the HCMC People’s Committee approved surveys and mining of 10 sand mines at the Can Gio sea region for the same company. Only two mines were approved for mining, while the rest were approved for surveys.

The city said the project would require around 138 million m3 of sand, which would be taken from sand mines, the land dug to create artificial lakes, neighboring sea areas, and other sources. If all the aforementioned 10 sand mines are utilized, the sand mined would satisfy 20% of the project’s demand.

However, the company would need to evaluate the environmental impacts of such mining, besides completing other procedures, when extracting the sand, authorities said.

Can Gio, located around 50 km from downtown HCMC, is the only coastal district of the city, with a shoreline spanning 23 km. The district spans over 71,300 ha, with 70% being mangrove forests, rivers and streams.

By Le Tuyet – VnExpress.net – August 29, 2023