Barges Impounded for Breaking Sand Dredging Ban in Kandal

23 December 2013
The Cambodia Daily
Environment and natural resources / Environment and natural resources policy and administration / Environmental and biodiversity protection / Government / Land / Law and judiciary / Laws and regulations / Ministries and other national bodies / Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology / Rivers and lakes / Water resources
Mekong river / Ministry of Water Resources / Prek Ampil commune / Prek Ampil Commune chief Chhim Meng / Sa’ang District Governor Khim Chankiri / Tonle Sap river / Water Resources Minister Lim Kean Hor

The Ministry of Water Resources impounded five barges in Kandal province on Saturday for flouting a government ban on sand dredging on the Mekong River, an official said Sunday. Chan Youttha, cabinet chief for Water Resources Minister Lim Kean Hor, said the minister personally led a government delegation to the dredging sites in Sa’ang district to enforce a ban on sand dredging along the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers that took effect on October 15. … Commune chief Chhim Meng said the company—whose name he did not know—had obtained a dredging license, but added that the government ban had nullified it. He and about 10 of the protesters took a boat out to speak with the men working on the barges, which continued to dredge during the protest. … The Phnom Penh municipal government ordered a moratorium on sand dredging in the city in August, though that ban too appears to have been flouted. In 2009, Prime Minister Hun Send ordered a ban, which has also since been broken, on exporting dredged sand. …

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http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/barges-impounded-for-breaking-sand-dredging-ban-in-kandal-49567/