Without Determination, UXO Clearance Task Doomed To Failure

The Lung Lo 3 Co.Ltd., under the Lung Lo Construction Corporation of the Defence Ministry, has defused a great number of UXOs on thousands of hectares of soil and seabed, paving the way for building key national structures, overcoming the aftermath of the war and ensuring production safety for local people. Talking about this success, Lieutenant Colonel Tang Van Chi, Secretary of the Party Committee, Deputy Director of the company, confirmed that it is determination that helps fulfil the UXO clearance task. Lieutenant Colonel Tang Van Chi shared that it is hard to detect UXO underground, but it is even harder to detect them in the seabed because of shortage of equipment and vehicles to detect UXOs and lift them up to the surface, the positioning of UXOs, strong underwater currents, and divers adaptation to underwater pressure. Though these difficulties are huge, the company’s staff has kept completing their task. It is resulted from their determination, bravery and highest responsibility while detecting and defusing UXO during construction and cleaning soil for projects and farming land. Those in charge of this task must regard what they are doing as a combat mission in peace time. “Without determination and great effort, we will be unable to obtain the goal of the national action program on overcoming UXO consequences after the war in the period of 2010-2025”, said Lieutenant Colonel Tang Van Chi. In fact, different types of UXO can be found in almost all provinces and cities across the country. Moreover, UXO contaminated areas are located in complicated terrain and geology. Thus, lack of determination could result in UXO still remaining for hundreds of years to come. Cleaning up the contaminated soil also means recreating the soil, ensuring the environment and safe work conditions for laborers, reducing accidents and casualties. (Quan Doi Nhan Dan – People’s Army Sept 16)