The Government on February 6 issued Decree 02 to specify conditions for grant of water resources licenses.
As per Article 15.1 of the Decree, water resources licenses include license for exploration of groundwater, license for exploitation and use of surface water, license for exploitation and use of groundwater, and license for exploitation and use of seawater.
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| A saline water impoundment on Tien river in Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province__Photo: Vu Sinh/VNA |
To be granted water resources licenses, organizations and individuals must obtain opinions of representatives of local communities and related organizations and individuals, produce schemes or reports in conformity with relevant master plans on water resources, provincial master plans, regulations on areas where exploitation of groundwater is restricted, and other relevant specialized master plans, or suitable to the water resource potential in case these areas are not yet covered by master plans and regulations on restriction of exploitation of groundwater.
However, these schemes or reports must be made by qualified organizations and individuals with sufficient, clear, accurate and truthful information and figures.
The Decree also provides validity period for each type of water resources licenses.
Specifically, the validity period of licenses for exploitation and use of surface water and sea water is between five years and 15 years and may be extended for between three years and 10 years for unlimited times.
Meanwhile, a license for exploration of groundwater will be valid for two years and may be extended once for up to one year.
The validity period of a license for exploitation and use of groundwater will be between three years and 10 years and may be extended for two years to five years for unlimited times.- (VLLF)
