Vietnam begins mass relocation for giant power project
HANOI - The first 52 of as many as 91,000 people
earmarked for relocation to make way for a massive hydro-electric power
project in northwestern Vietnam have been moved from their homes, officials
said Monday.
The eight households of the White Thai ethnic minority were shifted
on Sunday from Son La province's Muong La district to Moc Chau district,
some 200 kilometres (120 miles) west, in a trial run for the massive
population shift.
"This is just a trial phase because we still haven't received the
final details from the central government about the budget for the
relocation process," said Do Ngoc Mac, deputy head of the Son La People's
Committee.
A total of 400 households are due to be relocated by the end of
August.
Vietnam's parliament approved in December the construction of the
2.46 billion-dollar dam and power plant after the government scaled down
its size in the face of objections on human and safety grounds.
Son La is located in an area of regular seismic activity and
legislators were concerned that an earthquake could unleash a torrent of
water, threatening Hanoi, some 300 kilometres (188 miles) southeast.
The project's blueprint envisages a reservoir with a maximum depth of
215 metres (yards), which will require the relocation of 79,000-91,000
people from around 16,000-18,000 households in Son La and in neighboring
Lai Chau.
Officials say ethnic minorities make up as much 80 percent of the
total number of people set to be moved. The main bulk of the relocation is
expected to take place between 2005 and 2010.
Mac said the government has budgeted a maximum of 500 million dong
(32,000 dollars) to relocate each household.
The figure, however, includes the cost of building houses, roads and
other infrastructure, raising concerns about how much money will filter
down to the families after corrupt contractors and officials have taken
their cut.
Construction on the plant, which will have a capacity of 2,400
megawatts, is due to start in 2005.
It is expected to begin generating electricity in 2012, with full
operations planned by 2015. At that point it will produce 7.55-9.2 billion
kilowatts a year, according to state media.
Agence France Presse - March 10, 2003.
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