Kien Svay Residents Concerned Over Sand Extraction

Kandal province: A sand excavating site in Chheur Teal, Kien Svay district, Kandal province, is making people who live nearby concerned about accidents.

The source said that the owner, Mr. Koy Phearam, bought the land for agriculture. mBut, now the site has been turned into a giant sand extraction site, with very deep holes.

No action has apparently been taken by the authorities or any officials to check the depth of the pits, much to the criticism of locals.

Residents expressed indignation as the pits are much deeper than the law allows, and express concern that, during the rainy season, they are flooded and cause damage to their own land. They are especially afraid of children or animals falling into the pits and drowning.

Trucks carrying sand from the site are overloaded daily, adding further issues to people who live near the highway around Huy San pagoda.

‘The sand trucks drive too fast’, say some residents, who are also very worried about the safety of their little children who ride bicycles to school, this following a previous accident involving a truck and a child.

Many people would like to request the authorities of the province, especially specialists of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, to check the excavation, which is continuing sand extraction against normalised standards, and, further, against the law.

Neang Veasna, chief of Kien Svay district’s Office of Minerals and Energy, said via a telephone interview on the afternoon of January 8 that the business owner Mr. Koy has a permit from the ministry to dig to depths of more than 10 meters. The usual permission given by the ministry is a depth of 5 meters. https://kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh/article/763944.html