Resolving the Sand Shortage Issue at Belt Road 3
Tackling the scarcity of sand at Belt Road 3 has become a pressing matter in recent times. The Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Phan Van Mai, revealed that the total demand for sand to fill the foundation of the Belt Road 3 project is approximately 9.3 million m3, with 6.5 million m3 expected to be needed by 2024 (4.7 million m3 for Ho Chi Minh City alone). However, contractors are encountering difficulties in sourcing the required amount of sand due to various provinces prioritizing the supply of sand for projects within their own localities, as well as for the North – South highway.
To ensure the project’s progress, Ho Chi Minh City has requested that other localities share a portion of the sand from the currently operational mines serving the other highway projects, diverting it towards the Belt Road 3 project. Furthermore, simplifying the procedure for extending and reissuing mining permits for select sand mines is necessary.
Regarding the mining permits, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ben Tre Province, Tran Ngoc Tam, stated that the province plans to allow mining in six mines, with a total output of approximately 14.9 million m3 by 2024, potentially surpassing the promised quantity of 850,000 m3 for Ho Chi Minh City.
In a commitment to the Belt Road 3 project, the leadership of Tien Giang Province has pledged to provide around 6.3 million m3 of sand (3.8 million m3 by 2024). Additionally, representatives from An Giang and Dong Thap provinces have promised to transfer approximately 400,000 m3 of sand, extracted for the North – South highway projects, to the Belt Road 3 project.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha instructed the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, along with the relevant local authorities, to urgently assess the capacity for sand supply in accordance with the timelines of the North – South highway projects and the Belt Road 3 project in Ho Chi Minh City. This evaluation will enable timely solutions, such as increasing production capacity and introducing new mining sites, to meet the actual demand.
Deputy Prime Minister Ha delegated the authority to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to expedite the procedures for selecting investors and granting mining permits. The ministries concerned will review and publish the experimental results of using sea sand as landfill material, along with providing guidance to local authorities on the licensing process, standards, and pricing for sea sand extraction.
Deputy Prime Minister Ha emphasized the need to establish an interdisciplinary task force headed by the leadership of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in collaboration with the provinces of Ben Tre, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Soc Trang, and others. This task force will exercise the special mechanism granted by the National Assembly by extending permits and increasing the mining capacity of sand mines to serve the Belt Road 3 project in Ho Chi Minh City.
“The project management boards and contractors of the North – South highway and the Belt Road 3 project in Ho Chi Minh City should actively participate in supporting the provision of technical equipment, machinery, and human resources to promptly increase production capacity or commence operations at new mines in compliance with regulations,” emphasized Deputy Prime Minister Ha.
For more information on the latest business news, visit Business Today.