Actively manage and maintain inland waterways

Currently, inland waterway management and maintenance units are actively implementing measures to extend the lifespan of inland waterway transport infrastructure in the province, contributing to ensuring waterway safety.

The inland waterway management and maintenance units have installed a system of easily visible signage along the Chu River section passing through Thieu Hoa district.

Currently, the province manages and maintains 23 river and canal routes, totaling 761 km in length. Of these, 8 national inland waterway routes (213 km) and 15 local inland waterway routes (548 km) are under management. In addition, the province has 56 inland waterway terminals and 53 passenger ferry terminals. Inland waterway transport activities in the province are mainly small-scale and scattered, operating on river routes through estuaries connecting to coastal waterways leading to provinces in the North and Central regions. To ensure inland waterway safety, in recent times, inland waterway management and maintenance units have installed 1,429 various types of signs on shore, on bridges, underwater, and signal lights. These signs on the river routes are appropriately placed, clearly colored, and easily recognizable by vessel operators.

In their management work, the units have been decisive in combining the task of controlling port and inland waterway operations with the management, maintenance, and regulation of traffic safety and preventing collisions on inland waterways. At the same time, the units regularly inspect waterways and inland waterway infrastructure, review damaged buoys and markers along the routes, and promptly repair, supplement, and install navigation signs, markers, buoys, and directional signs... ensuring safe navigation for ships and boats, and preventing accidents and collisions. Annually, the inland waterway management and maintenance units coordinate with 15 districts, towns, and 2 cities with waterways to organize the dissemination of legal regulations on inland waterway traffic and sign commitments on ensuring order and safety of inland waterway traffic with owners of facilities and passenger ferry terminals.

According to a representative of Thanh Hoa Inland Waterway Management and Construction Joint Stock Company, the management and maintenance of inland waterways are regularly carried out by the unit according to a plan ensuring that the waterways and navigation markers are installed in the correct quantity, type, and location. Annually, the buoy system is brought ashore, cleaned, rusted, inspected, and accessories are supplemented and painted to ensure bright and clear colors; some buoys at river mouths are injected with anti-sinking agents and covered with composite fibers... For the inland waterway management stations, the company's subordinate control stations regularly inspect and monitor the waterway conditions within their assigned areas. Through this, they detect changes in waterways and obstacles, and promptly implement measures to ensure inland waterway traffic safety. In addition, the stations coordinate with communes and towns to disseminate information and guide vessel owners, wharf owners, construction project owners, and the public to strictly comply with regulations on inland waterway traffic safety. In addition, the relevant units regularly monitor water levels, hydrology, and transport volumes on the rivers.

To ensure the continued operation of inland waterway transport, the Department of Transport has proposed to the Provincial People's Committee and the Inland Waterway Administration to implement projects to clear obstacles and dredge shoals to ensure safety and improve inland waterway transport capacity. Based on this, in 2021, the Inland Waterway Administration implemented the project to clear underwater rocks in the Han Temple area on the Len River, section Km46+400 - Km49+200, with a total investment of 38.4 billion VND. In 2023, the project to dredge shoals to ensure navigation at the Lach Sung estuary - Len River section Km2+600 - Km5+200 was implemented with a total investment of 17.8 billion VND. Currently, the Department of Transport is continuing to propose to the Ministry of Transport and the Inland Waterway Administration to consider implementing dredging projects to ensure waterway traffic on the shallow sections from Km2+800 to Km5+300 at the mouth of Lach Truong River, Tao River, with a total investment of 16 billion VND; the section from Km1+00 to Km2+00 on the Lach Bang - Dao Me route with a total investment of 10 billion VND; and the project to dredge and clear the underwater rock formations from Km0 to Km1+00 on the Lach Bang - Dao Me route with a total investment of approximately 45 billion VND. At the same time, the Department of Transport is advising the Provincial People's Committee to include the Do Len Port Project (total investment of approximately 1,500 billion VND) in the list of projects calling for investment in the development of transport infrastructure in the 2023-2030 period. In addition, a review should be conducted on river routes to identify bridges that do not meet the required clearance dimensions for waterway navigation, as well as many dangerous locations and potential accident hotspots, especially during the storm and flood season, in order to take appropriate measures to address and rectify these issues.

With the vigorous implementation of solutions in the management and maintenance of inland waterway transport by the transport sector and related sectors of the province, localities with inland waterways will meet the needs of goods transport for the people.

Text and photos: Le Hoi

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tich-cuc-cong-tac-quan-ly-bao-tri-duong-thuy-noi-dia-221569.htm