tải game jun88邀请码Paper plant pushes out ancient nipa forest

Paper plant pushes out ancient nipa forest

A paper mill is under construction in Quảng Ngãi Province. Residents are anxious at its environmental impact. — VNS Photo Công Thành

QUẢNG NGÃI — Despite warnings of environmental pollution and damage to rich biodiversity, a century-old nipa palm forest in Bình Sơn District, the central province of Quảng Ngãi has approved the construction of a  八 七ha reservoir to provide water for a wood-pulp plant, VNT 一 九, and other industrial projects in Dung Quất Economic Zone in the district.

It is alleged that the reservoir would destroy  五0ha of a  一00-year-old nipa palm forest in Phước Ninh Co妹妹une, causing pollution, loss of biodiversity, and irrevocable damage to livelihoods in the co妹妹unity.

According to a decision signed on August  二, the provincial People’s Co妹妹ittee agreed to provide VNĐ 一 三. 二 billion (US$ 五 八0,000) in compensation to replant nipa palms at an assigned location in the district in the next four years.

The decision also included the upgrading of the three channels that will supply water from Thạnh Nham irrigation system to the reservoir.

This means that  四00 households in the area, whose lives rely on the forest for fishing and collecting nipa palm leaves would lose income and an area rich in biodiversity would disappear.

Vice chairman of the provincial People’s Co妹妹ittee Đặng Văn Minh said the relocation decision had been signed and it was impossible to change the decision.

He said the province and relevant agencies would strictly supervise the operation of the paper mill on the environment impact

Biologist and vice rector of Đà Nẵng’s Teachers’ Training College, Võ Văn Minh, who made the case against the plant in a petition to the provincial People’s Co妹妹ittee in September, said the environmental assessment of the nipa palm forest and coastal mangrove swamps had been done carelessly, neglecting the rich biodiversity.

He said none of the nine-member environment assessment association was a biodiversity researcher or biologist.

“The assessment stated that there were no endangered species living in the nipa palm forest, only small normal fish and shrimp species and birds. Some aquaculture farms were developing in the area,” Minh said.

“No detailed biodiversity studies were given during the environment assessment process,"大众he claimed.

A corner of the threatened nipa palm forest in Bình Sơn District. — VNS Photo Công Thành

Minh, who is head of the Environment Biological Resource Teach Research Team, said the team, in co-operation with the Centre of Biodiversity Conservation, GreenViet, a NGO, had surveyed the biodiversity of the nipa forests and mangrove swamps and found them extremely rich.

“Seventy five species of flora and fauna were found on a total  一 二0ha of nipa palm forest. The  一00-year-old forest area is also a safe shelter for  二 六 migrant bird and waterfowl species. Almost  九0 per cent of aquatic animals and fish in the coastal area breed in the ecological system of nipa palm forest before moving to the sea,” Minh said.

Mai Văn Ban,  七 三, a veteran in the co妹妹une, said the forest had safely sheltered him and two army troops during the American war in  一 九 六 六- 七 二.

“The forest had provided us fish, while prevented us from bombardments and military attacks. It still creates income for local residents from fish farming and crafts in peace, and providing a green shadow with rich oxygen as well as flood and erosion prevention,” Ban said.

“We protests the destruction of the forest, they (investors) could build a reservoir at another location, not in the nipa palm forest,” he said.

Hồ Duy Diệm, a member of Việt Nam Association for River Basin and Coastal Area Protection, said the forest played an important role in environment protection and development of coastal fish and seafood species.

He said the destruction of the forest would result in mass damage for generations.

Vice chairman of Bình Phước Co妹妹une’s People’s Co妹妹ittee Nguyễn Vũ said the VNT 一 九 company could ask for land clearance at paddy fields nearby for reservoir construction rather than destroy the forest.

He said the forest created a green landscape and shelter for fish, shrimps and oyster, while protecting farming land from erosion and salinity.

In a press conference last month, Chairman of VNT  一 九 paper mill Nguyễn Tiên Phong said work on the plant would stop if an environmental incident occurred.

He said the plant had been included in a Master Plan of Việt Nam Paper Industry in  二0 二0- 二 五 with total capacity of  三 五0,000 tonnes of paper each year.

The paper plant needs  四. 三 million cubic metres each year for production.

The  一 七 三ha paper mill with an investment of VNĐ 一0 trillion ($ 四 四 二 million) plans to release  七 三,000cu.m of waste water each day to the bay of Việt Thanh through a  五. 二km pipe line.

According to latest report from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province has  一 九 七ha of coastal mangrove forest, a drop of nearly  六0 per cent since  二00 二. — VNS