Stop dredging the sandbar in the middle of the Tien River.

In Tien Giang, an islet containing approximately 241,000 cubic meters of sand on the Tien River will be retained, with only concrete obstacles removed, due to ongoing revisions to waterway dredging regulations.

This information was provided by Mr. Tran Van Bon, Director of the Tien Giang Department of Transport, on the afternoon of October 26th. The reason is that the Ministry of Transport is currently seeking opinions on a draft to replace Decree 159/2018 on the management of dredging activities in seaport waters and inland waterways.

"When new regulations are in place, we will continue to thoroughly investigate whether dredging affects waterways and, if dredging is necessary, whether or not it will result in the recovery of dredged material," Mr. Bon said.

Tan Phong islet, located 50 meters from the Tien River bank, was once about one hectare in size and used by locals for business. After years of erosion, the islet is now only 270 square meters in area. There are no houses left on the islet, only a few concrete fragments from old structures submerged in the river, causing some passing boats to run aground or sink.

Tan Phong islet is located in the middle of the Tien River. Photo: Nam An — Tan Phong islet is located in the middle of the Tien River. Photo: *Nam An*

Last October, the People's Committee of Tien Giang province announced a list of dredging projects to improve navigation and recover sand and gravel in the eroded sandbar area. Accordingly, the winning bidder will utilize part or all of the dredged material from the sandbar, which is 1,000 meters long, 100 meters wide, and more than 5 meters deep, for other purposes.

According to Mr. Bon, the Department of Transport has initially sought the opinion of the Tien Giang Provincial People's Committee to proceed with the removal and disposal of concrete pillars and blocks around the islet, which are the foundations of old houses and workshops of local residents, in order to keep the river clear and ensure safe waterway traffic.

Decree 159 requires that basic dredging projects in port waters and inland waterways undergo impact assessments in accordance with environmental protection regulations. In addition, some dredging and dredged material disposal projects must comply with regulations on the preparation of seabed dumping projects and the allocation of sea areas as stipulated in the Vietnamese Law of the Sea and the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment.

Maintenance dredging projects and works, with their annual implementation volume following a regular pattern, require impact assessments or environmental protection plans to be carried out annually or in cycles of up to 5 years.

According to the Ministry of Transport, these regulations are not suitable for the timeframe of maintenance dredging and the capacity of the storage area (some projects require two years of implementation). Therefore, the agency believes that the implementation cycle of these procedures needs to be revised to reduce costs for the budget and streamline administrative procedures for maintenance dredging projects and works on maritime channels.

Hoang Nam

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