Soil digging contradicts ban
village,” he added. “It’s [near] National Road 3 … at the edge of the village.”
But Post reporters were yesterday able to locate two huge open pits approximately twostoreys deep near National Road 3. In one of them, an excavator was at work digging. There were several other excavators and pieces of machinery sitting near the open pits, but no one could identify the person or company for whom they were working.
Villagers said the digging had been going on for two or three years.
One woman, who declined to give her name, said the digging had temporarily stopped before resuming.
“They stopped digging for one year and started again around July,” the woman said.
Villagers said they were concerned about children and cattle falling into the pits.
Chhe Lidin, spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said the ban on digging in the municipality remains in effect and he knew of no exceptions being made.
“We have not received any information from the Phnom Penh municipality on this digging case,” he said. “Through our hotline, we did, however, receive information about people bringing equipment into areas where there had been digging activities before.”
Lidin said the ministry will send an inspection team to “enforce the law accordingly”.
Phnom Penh spokesman Mep Measpheadkey referred questions to fellow spokesman Mean Chanyada. Chanyada said he had not seen the February 17 letter.
“By principle, we don’t allow digging and delivery of soil,” he said, adding that officials only approve such practice if they deem the development project as “very necessary”.