Authorities of Vietnam’s central province of Thua Thien-Hue have approved a VND650 million ($31,500) project to detect and defuse bombs, mines and unexploded explosives left by the war. The project will cover 35,300 hectares or 20% of the total province’s area in seven districts, Huong Thuy town and Hue City between 2011 and 2015. The project is very important to local residents and socio-economic development since it will help reduce the rate of human casualties of explosives, restore land for production and infrastructure projects, making contribution to eliminate hunger and mitigate poverty in the areas. Bombs and mines have claimed around 104,000 lives in Vietnam since 1975 with 300-600 fatalities annually, the UNDP said. Vietnam needs more than $10 billion and take up to 300 years to clear up bombs and mines left from the war, said a representative of the Technology Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal (BOMICEN). (www.qdnd.vn [1] June 18)
