Vietnam moves towards smart governance of water resourcesA young man caring for a cow shed was arrested, seized with drugs, and more than a thousand rounds of AK bullets.

Hanoi: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has said it will step up digital transformation and maintain the operation of the online surveillance system over water exploitation and use for about 600 works licensed by it in 2024.

This move aims to ensure the effective management, exploitation and protection of water resources online based on smart governance.

Chau Tran Vinh, Director of the ministry’s Department of Water Resources Management, said that this year, the department and related units will build and submit for approval three decrees and four circulars guiding the implementation of the Law on Water Resources 2023, organise the implementation of a project on the overall assessment of impacts of other countries’ development of hydropower plants on the main stream of the Mekong River along with response solutions, and build a draft water resources scenario for early 2025 to submit to the ministry for announcement, helping ministries, sectors and localities to develop water use pla
ns.

The department will work with the Pollution Control Department to submit to the MoNRE the load capacity of inter-provincial water sources and a plan for surface water quality management in the basin of Ky Cung, Ma, Ba, Tra Khuc, Kon, Se San and Srepok rivers.

Water resources management has gradually come into order, creating a large source of revenue for the State budget, with about 7.5 trillion VND (306.18 million USD) a year collected from water resources tax, and around 1.5 trillion VND a year from water exploitation right license.

The Departments of Natural Resources and Environment of provinces and centrally-run cities also actively advised their People’s Committees in the promulgation of 122 legal documents and guiding documents to strengthen water resources management in the localities./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Phatthalung, Police set to conduct a drug suppression operation. Phatthalung Province They arrested a young man hired to take care of a cowshed and seized methamphetamine and weapons of war. and over a thousand rounds of AK bullets

Officers from the Phatthalung Provincial Narcotics Suppression Operations Team and Khao Chaison Police Station brought forces to inspect the cattle shed, Village No. 4, Chong Thanon Subdistrict, Khao Chaison District, Phatthalung Province, after discovering that it was a hiding place for weapons of war. and arrested Mr. Sitthisak or Mee, 33 years old, a worker taking care of the said cowshed. Along with seizing 74 methamphetamine tablets and weapons of war, namely 1 M 16 firearm and 2 .22 caliber rifles hidden in an old parked van. Before finding 5.56 caliber ammunition, 7.62 caliber ammunition (AK), .22 caliber ammunition, a total of 1,165 rounds, in the straw storage area, and 5 M.16 ammunition holsters, 30-round capacity, 1 Ak 47 (AK) ammunition holster, 40-round capacity. In
the James Bond bag Therefore, they all were confiscated.

Police from Khao Chaison Police Station revealed that from now on they will speed up their investigation, collecting documents, evidence, witnesses, and submitting applications for approval of arrest warrants for the group of suspects involved in the said weapons of war.

Source: Thai News Agency