The People's Committee of Bac Kan province has just directed relevant departments and branches to conduct a comprehensive and comprehensive assessment of the economic, social, and ecological environmental impacts of hydropower project investment proposals after approval. Within more than a year, many businesses have proposed to invest in dozens of projects of this type in the area.
Nam Cat hydroelectric plant (Bach Thong) has a capacity of 3,2MW, and is one of the few projects built in previous years.
Accordingly, the People's Committee of Bac Kan province requested the Department of Planning and Investment to preside over and coordinate with branches to consider and comprehensively assess economic and social impacts, change land use purposes, and change land use purposes. forest use, ensuring ecological environment, investor capacity and feasibility of proposed projects. On that basis, advise the Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee on documents to submit to the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee for approval of each project, including the land area expected to be recovered.
It is known that in the period 2010 - 2018, Bac Kan only had a few investors implementing four small hydroelectric projects out of a total of seven locations in the planning approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. In 2020, after Bac Kan province proposed, the Ministry of Industry and Trade reviewed and approved the hydropower development plan in the province for 10 more locations in districts and cities. In the past two years, the rate of businesses requesting to implement small hydroelectric projects in this locality has increased sharply.
According to the Bac Kan Department of Planning and Investment, as of September 9, up to seven businesses in the province have applied to implement 2021 small hydropower projects in districts: Pac Nam, Bach Thong, Na Ri, Cho New, Ba Be. Among them, three projects have been submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for consideration and approval of investment policies: Nam Cat 10 hydropower plant, My Thanh hydropower plant (Bach Thong district); Khuoi Thoc hydropower plant (Na Ri district) and Pac Nam hydropower plant (Pac Nam district). There are six projects seeking opinions from specialized sectors: Khuoi Noc 2 hydropower plant, Kim Lu hydropower plant (Na Ri); Song Cau 2 hydroelectric power plant, Song Cau 2 hydroelectric power plant (Cho Moi); Cong Bang hydropower plant (Pac Nam).
Some projects, after completion, have caused inadequacies and limitations, such as: Thac Gieng 1 Hydroelectric Plant (Bac Kan City) during the test run process did not store water according to the process, drying up the Cau River. , causing frustration among the people.
Pac Cap Hydropower Plant (Na Ri) has a large flooded area that affects people's movement, giving rise to many complaints and collective petitions about compensation, site clearance and loss of livelihood when production land is flooded. water. During the construction of this project, Su Pan 1 Hydropower Joint Stock Company also arbitrarily affected more than 3,3 hectares of production forest land without being considered and converted by competent authorities. Inspectors of the Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment imposed an administrative fine on the company of 30 million VND, forcing it to restore the condition of the production forest land area before the violation.
In Ba Be district, Bac Kan Green Peace Hydropower Company Limited has proposed the Song Nang hydropower project in Banh Trach commune. During the appraisal process of this project, functional agencies had many different opinions related to biodiversity conservation and special national relics and scenic spots of Ba Be Lake; affecting the flow of the Nang River and agricultural activities in the downstream area. At the same time, the People's Committee of Ba Be district did not agree to invest in this project.
The fact that on the short section of Cau River from Bac Kan City to Cho Moi district, there are four proposed small hydropower investment projects is also causing many concerns about ensuring the minimum flow for domestic water and agricultural production. …
Director of Bac Kan Department of Planning and Investment, Tran Cong Hoa, said that many investors proposing small hydropower projects also shows that the province's investment environment has improved significantly. The economic efficiency of these projects can also be specifically evaluated. However, with the view of not exchanging the environment for economic benefits, Bac Kan province will carefully and thoroughly review each project to ensure economic development coupled with environmental protection.
According to the Center for People and Nature