MEKONG DELTA — Sand is being mined in a new location in the Hậu River in Sóc Trăng Province since June 30 to serve construction of a key expressway in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta. According to the province People's Committee, the sand will be used for component project 4 in the first phase of the Châu Đốc - Cần Thơ - Sóc Trăng Expressway. There are five locations in the river in Sóc Trăng where mining is permitted with a combined area of more than 450 ha. A shortage of river sand is affecting work on many major construction projects in the delta. Using other materials in place of river sand is also under scrutiny.
