Work on urban project stopped for encroaching on Ha Long Bay

The Cam Pha City People's Committee has requested the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, the Department of Urban Management, Culture and Information, the Quang Hanh Ward People's Committee and other authorities to inspect the construction of the 10B urban project before Nov. 10.

The project in Quang Hanh Ward on an area of 32 ha and at a cost of VND1.23 trillion ($50.63 million) by Do Gia Capital and its partners has 3.9 ha located within a protected zone in the Ha Long Bay special national heritage site.

Quang Ninh Province authorities said Monday there have been environmental violations, including a failure to comply with the environmental impact evaluation report.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism called on them to instruct the investors to fully comply with its norms and to inform the public about the project's development, what it entails and how it is carried out.

Tran Hoa Thanh, director of Do Gia Capital, said the firm has carried out environmental protection measures as proposed by authorities before the construction.

"We will use construction methods in accordance with the environmental impact evaluation report."

Ha Long Bay was deemed a national heritage site in 2009 and recognized by UNESCO as a natural heritage in 1994 and 2000.