Ho Chi Minh City: Tightening the exploitation and use of water

Implementing the Government's Decree No. 02/2023/ND-CP dated February 1, 2023, detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Water Resources, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to assume the prime responsibility for coordinating with relevant agencies, units and localities in implementing the Decree for organizations, individuals exploiting and using water resources in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment shall coordinate with concerned agencies and localities in reviewing and urging organizations and individuals to exploit and use water resources in cases where registration is required or permits are required to urgently carry out registration procedures or submit dossiers of application for licenses to competent state agencies in accordance with law provisions in order to ensure the strictness and equality of the law, avoid loss of resources and state budget revenue.

At the same time, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Thu Duc City People's Committee and districts, wards, communes shall organize the registration and certification of registration of exploitation and use of surface water, seawater and groundwater according to the competence specified in Articles 38 and 39 of Decree No. 02/2023/ND-CP and Decision No. 4335/QD-UBND dated December 13, 2022 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee on promulgation list and map of zoning restricted from groundwater exploitation in Ho Chi Minh City.

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At the same time, collecting the opinions of representatives of local communities and organizations, individuals involved in the exploitation and use of water resources according to the order specified in Article 2 of Decree No. 02/2023/ND-CP.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in, reviewing and urging owners of irrigation projects to register or grant permits for exploitation and use of water in accordance with the above-mentioned Decree. Specifically, as follows: In case irrigation works are exploiting and using water resources, they must be registered as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 17, registration shall be carried out according to the provisions of Article 39 of Decree No. 02/2023/ND-CP. In case irrigation works are subject to permits as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 17, they shall urgently submit dossiers of application for licenses for the exploitation and use of surface water to competent state agencies as prescribed in Articles 32 and 35 of Decree No. 02/2023/ND-CP.

Management units operating irrigation works, other organizations and individuals exploiting and using surface water directly from reservoirs, irrigation dams, irrigation canal systems, for non-agricultural business, service and production purposes (including water extraction for machine cooling activities, equipment, steam generation and heating) which irrigation project management and operation units have not yet been licensed to exploit and use surface water for the above-mentioned purposes, request organizations and individuals to make and submit dossiers of application for licenses for exploitation and use of surface water to competent state agencies as prescribed in Article 32, Article 35 of Decree No. 02/2023/ND-CP.

Source: Website of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment