An uphill battle with illegal sand exploiters on Sai Gon River
The riverbed is becoming wider, while houses on the two banks are about to fall into the river due to serious erosion. Illegal sand exploitation has spoiled the environment, caused landslides, changing the current, and threatening waterway transport. “In the past, Sai Gon River was full of shrimp and fish, while the tide went in and out peacefully. Now, the water turns muddy. In many places, houses and gardens have been swept away by the ‘river god’,” said Ba, a fisherman living near Binh Phuoc Bridge in Thu Duc district, neighboring Binh Duong province. “We don’t know where we will go to settle down,” he said, sighing. Ba pointed at the dilapidated houses with foundations nearly broken, just 200 meters away from Binh Phuoc Bridge. The river water has swallowed up the concrete road, while many houses have become empty, left deserted in the shabby land.
