In recent weekends, a group brazenly used excavators and trucks to illegally exploit land on a large scale in Tho Loc village, Dong Loi commune, Trieu Son district, taking advantage of the low traffic. This occurred right next to the North-South Expressway, causing public outrage and posing many risks to the safety of transport infrastructure.
Excavator illegally extracting land near the North-South Expressway on December 21, 2024
According to on-site records on the afternoon of December 21, 2024, the excavation operation was bustling with a large excavator continuously digging and scooping soil from the land cleared for the expressway project. A series of trucks lined up to transport the soil for sale. The scene showed that many locations had been dug up to a meter deep compared to the original rice field surface, severely deforming the terrain.
Excavated rice field with deep pits caused by the excavator on December 21, 2024
Notably, the “dissected” area is the surplus construction land, which was prepared for the expressway project. However, the exploiting subjects not only took this surplus land but also dug deep into the fertile topsoil, wasting resources and affecting the environment.
More seriously, the illegal land exploitation also took place right under the expressway overpass, directly encroaching on the foundation of the bridge. Many exploitation points are only a few meters away from the embankment and the protection net system of the expressway corridor. The risk of landslides, affecting the existing transport infrastructure, is entirely possible if preventive measures are not taken in time.
Excavator illegally extracting land right next to the foundation of the expressway overpass on December 21, 2024
A local resident named Q., residing in Quan Nham village, Dong Loi commune, said that the illegal excavation of land by excavators and trucks has been going on since December 14, 2024. According to reports, the subjects often take advantage of nightfall or weekends to operate, avoiding the control of authorities. During the day, they exploit in the rice field and under the bridge, and at night, they bring machinery to the roundabout between the access road to the expressway to dig. This is a circular area of hundreds of meters wide, expected to plant flowers and ornamental plants in the future.
Excavation site with deep, jagged pits left by the excavator and trucks
Excavator continuing to illegally extract land in the roundabout area of the expressway access road in the late afternoon of December 21, 2024
According to research, illegally exploited land is transported by subjects to sell to households and construction sites in Nua town, about 5-7km from the scene, earning illegal profits of hundreds of millions of dong. Some of the land is also sold to local people to fill ponds, lakes, and gardens.
Truck carrying illegally extracted soil plowing and damaging the surface of the Nhom River dike, passing through Tho Loc village
Local people expressing frustration at the trucks carrying illegally extracted soil damaging the concrete surface of the Nhom River dike
Many local people expressed their frustration with the prolonged illegal land exploitation, which not only causes loss of resources and affects the environment but also damages rural transport infrastructure and threatens dike safety. Notably, the operation of excavators and trucks takes place publicly and bustlingly, but there has been no intervention or drastic handling from local authorities and functional agencies.
Thanh Hoa Newspaper will continue to monitor and provide information on the developments of the case.
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