Posted on July 27, 2026
Suspicions arise that the Vinh Dien River dredging project is being used as a cover for illegal sand mining.
The Vinh Dien River originates from the left bank of the Thu Bon River, flows through the Go Noi commune area, and is an important water source for pumping stations irrigating nearly 2,000 hectares of agricultural land, as well as providing water for domestic use and serving many economic activities of the local people.
After the 2025 rainy season, the entrance to the Vinh Dien River was severely silted up, narrowing the river’s cross-section. This situation puts pumping stations at risk of being unable to draw water when the Thu Bon River’s water level is low, and the area is also frequently affected by saltwater intrusion from Cua Han and Cua Dai.
In response to this situation, the Da Nang City People’s Committee directed Go Noi commune to urgently complete the procedures to implement the project of dredging the silted-up section of the Vinh Dien river passing through the commune, in order to ensure water supply for the temporary dam project to prevent saltwater intrusion and retain freshwater.
According to the records, the dredging project covers a length of over 1.3 km, from the confluence of the Thu Bon and Vinh Dien rivers to the downstream area in Cam Dong village (Go Noi commune). The total dredging area is approximately 5.6 hectares, with an estimated volume of over 28,083 m³ of mud and sand.
The project has a total budget of over 1.2 billion VND, a construction period of 75 days, and is being implemented by Ngan Mai Construction Investment Co., Ltd.
According to the approved plan, all dredged materials will be transported to the storage area of business owner Le Thi Tien in Nhi Dinh 1 village (Dien Ban Tay commune, Da Nang city) for management and processing in accordance with the law .
However, just a few days after its commencement, the project had to be halted due to protests from numerous local residents.
Locals believe that the method of implementation resembles sand mining more than dredging for public benefit. According to reports, the construction unit is driving piles, using suction dredgers, and numerous barges to continuously transport sand away from the site.
“We don’t know if they’re actually dredging or just using it as an excuse to extract sand. In just the first two days of operation, one dredging vessel was used by 3-4 barges carrying a huge amount of sand,” a local resident complained.
To ensure transparency, many residents have suggested that the sand dredged from the river should be stockpiled immediately on both banks to be used for filling and reinforcing landslide areas in the locality, instead of being transported elsewhere.
“If it’s truly for the public interest, then the sand should be kept for local use. Transporting it elsewhere makes people suspect that this is an illegal sand extraction operation for resale,” said Mr. NMT (a resident of Cam Dong village).
Besides concerns about excessive sand extraction, many households are also worried that dredging could alter the river’s flow, causing riverbank erosion, affecting agricultural land, crops, houses, and the irrigation system supplying water to the eastern Go Noi area.
The sand is brought to a qualified site, then auctioned off?
Speaking with a reporter from Thanh Nien newspaper , Mr. Pham Loc, Director of the Go Noi Commune Public Service Supply Center, affirmed that the project was implemented in accordance with the policy of the Da Nang City People’s Committee to ensure water supply for irrigation and daily life for the people.
According to Mr. Loc, this is an urgent project, not a commercial sand mining project. The entire volume of dredged mud and sand will be transported to a designated storage area that has been licensed by the authorities for management. After the project is completed, the city will auction off the collected sand according to regulations, generating revenue to fund other public works projects.
However, after implementation, the construction unit realized that the project was not very effective and also faced resistance from the local people, so they proactively requested a temporary suspension.
According to Mr. Loc, the center then coordinated with the design consultant, supervision consultant, contractor, and local authorities to review the entire project to assess the necessity of continuing its implementation.
Based on the assessment, given that the water supply for production is now basically secured, continuing construction is no longer urgent. Therefore, the center has submitted a report to the competent authorities requesting approval to temporarily suspend the project.
According to him, the project was implemented openly, with complete legal documentation, a community monitoring process, and was under the management of relevant authorities. This is a public service project aimed at ensuring water resources for the people, not a sand mining project for profit.
Responding to the question of why the dredged sand was not stockpiled in an area managed by the local authorities but instead transported to a private business’s yard, the Director of the Go Noi Commune Public Service Supply Center stated that this stockpiling site had been licensed by the competent authority and fully met the conditions stipulated in the regulations on mineral stockpiling and management.
