Illegal construction in Ma Thien Lanh: Shops and restaurants "illegally" grow on forestry land (part 1)

Ma Thien Lanh is a land belonging to the Ba Den mountain range, located in Binh Minh ward, Tay Ninh province. In this valley, there is a stream that leads rainwater from the Ba Den mountain range to the canals. However, in recent months, the stream has been blocked by some local people using rocks, wooden stakes and many other objects. The purpose of this is to store water, create a place for entertainment and recreation to serve the food and beverage business.

Lesson 1: Shops and restaurants illegally built on forestry land

Spontaneous tourism development

Coming to Ma Thien Lanh stream in late November, we can see that this place is no longer the wild and poetic land of the past. There are many shops selling food and drinks. Along the stream, there are up to 5 shops in operation. Among them are constructions such as an iron bridge across the stream; a fairly large lotus pond, in the middle of the lake there is a Buddha statue. On the stream bank, there are some fake wooden houses, roofed with corrugated iron and imitation tiles, selling many items.

Ma Thien Lanh stream was blocked by a solid stone dam.

Next to it are a few other small houses, basically completed, built separately, one-story bungalow style. Next to these small houses is another empty plot of land with completed foundations. There are also many building materials such as bricks, iron bars, plywood, Kobe cars available. In addition, along the stream bank there is a round wooden house with tiled roof and a round wooden house with corrugated iron roof, many large umbrellas and tables and chairs are placed everywhere, used to serve diners.

Another thing worth noting is that the Ma Thien Lanh stream has been affected by the food and beverage vendors here. Specifically, the section of the stream that runs across a beverage vendor has been blocked by a fairly solid stone dam. On the dam bank, there are wooden planks and a cool house built to serve the needs of customers. The section of the stream above the dam, the water accumulates to form a fairly large pond. In the middle of the pond, there is another row of stones blocking the stream, used as a place for children to walk, play, and splash in the water.

The spring water accumulates into a fairly large pond.

Although the shop owner has installed a warning sign outside the gate that says: “Children playing in the stream must always be accompanied by an adult. Do not climb large rocks or run and jump dangerously”, but actual observations show that there are almost always some small children walking on the rocks and playing in the stream. Under their feet is a fairly wide and deep water area, if they accidentally fall in, the consequences will be very unpredictable.

Block the flow, build a dam

A few dozen meters upstream from this beverage shop is another food business. At noon on November 29, a woman carried rocks from the stream to block the water. Asked about the purpose, the woman said: "To make a path for customers to cross the stream to play and eat." A few meters above this stone path is a fairly solid stone dam that limits the water flow downstream.

Artificial lake and fake wooden houses selling goods on the stream bank

Upstream of Ma Thien Lanh stream more than ten meters is another tourist resort. There is a house built on mango land and a food shop built in the style of a stilt house on the stream bank. In front of the food shop is an iron bridge across the stream. Under the stream there is a dam blocking the water flow. The dam was built by using many large wooden trees planted vertically and horizontally under the water and using nylon tarps combined with rocks to block the water flow. From there, the water accumulates to form a pond. Under the pond, the shop owner placed a cluster of children's games, including swings, slides, and stairs, as a place for children to play.

The houses are built in bungalow style on forestry land.

At the entrance to Ma Thien Lanh valley, there is another food and drink shop that has existed for many years. The shop almost blocks part of the entrance to the valley, forcing visitors to follow the length of the shop. The stream that flows across the shop is also affected by rocks.

The damming of Ma Thien Lanh stream by many people can cause many serious impacts such as flooding, water pollution, biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruption. This behavior can also negatively affect human health and change the natural environment.

Many construction materials and specialized machinery are gathered on the stream bank.

Mountains, rivers, streams, and forests all play an essential role in human life. They are also home to many species of organisms, maintaining biodiversity. Impacting the natural environment in Ma Thien Lanh as mentioned above is a violation of the law./.

Ocean – Sy Cong

Part 2: Functional sectors and local authorities take action

Source: https://baolongan.vn/xay-dung-trai-phep-o-ma-thien-lanh-quan-xa-moc-chui-tren-dat-lam-nghiep-bai-1--a207666.html