A house collapsed in Muong Phu village, Thong Thu commune (Que Phong, Nghe An). (Photo: Nguyen Oanh / VNA)
In the area of urgent relocation, so far, 33 households in Muong Phu and Muong Piet villages, Thong Thu commune, Que Phong district (Nghe An) living along the Nam Piet river have not yet been moved to the resettlement area. Every rainy season, they are afraid of flash floods at any time, threatening lives and property. The villages of Muong Phu and Muong Piet, Thong Thu commune are located at the foot of a mountain on the Vietnam-Laos border, along the Nam Piet stream. All year round, the river is gentle, with many sections the water level is less than 1 meter. However, every time heavy rain, water poured from upstream, the Nam Piet river was fierce, swept away homes and property of the people. The landslide area has more than 100 households living, of which 33 households are at high risk of landslide. The households here have to live in a troubled situation, in danger of landslides, flash floods. The family of Ms. Luong Thi Huong, Muong Phu village is one of the households most affected by the flood in July 2018.
The house, which is more than 150 square meters, of Ms. Luong has collapsed completely behind, only the front part is habitable but is unstable in the landslide area.
Although the house has been hired to scoop sand and stone to limit landslides, with heavy rain and a lot of water, the house can be swept away at any time.
Recalling the flood in July 2018, Ms. Huong said that at that time she was horrified, everyone was indoors, hearing a roaring sound, the entire house behind and everything was swept away by the water. Luckily everyone in the family managed to escape.
Unable to live in the old place because of fear of affecting his life, the family of Mr. Ha Van Chien and Muong Phu village moved to another place to build a new house to live in.
Mr. Chien said that the floods came back, the water rose 1 meter higher than the floor.
In the flash flood in 2018, nearly 10 people's houses were eroded, including the collapsed houses that were completely uninhabitable, so people left away to other places.
Along the landslide, there are more than 100 households living, up to 33 households are at risk of serious landslide.
So, since 2017, Que Phong district has put these 33 households in the emergency relocation category, having repeatedly reported and submitted to the People's Committee of Nghe An province for consideration and settlement.
Two flash floods in 2017 and 2018 made many households living here in a state of anxiety and anxiety when their lives and assets could be threatened at any time.
Having no place to move, they have to accept living in rundown and dangerous houses.
The authorities and people mobilize resources to repair their houses to live, but only solve the immediate problems.
Ms. Luong Thi Huong's family in Muong Phu village, Thong Thu commune is afraid of living in a landslide house. (Photo: Nguyen Oanh / VNA)
Mr. Luong Van Huan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thong Thu commune, said the commune and people here want the province to soon implement a resettlement project so that they can be assured of a long-term life. Currently, each time heavy rains, the commune has to send people to stay on duty, helping people to run floods.
Meanwhile, about 3km away from the landslide area, Pu Sai Cang 2 resettlement area, Muong Piet village, Thong Thu commune was built by Hua Na Hydropower Company in 2012, to relocate affected households. Influenced by hydroelectricity has been wasted for 8 years and degraded.
The reason is that the resettlement area has no productive land, high construction area, and lack of water for domestic use, so these households refuse to come to live.
In 2017, Que Phong district submitted a proposal to invest in urgent relocation of households affected by flash floods, which is to renovate the abandoned Pu Sai Cang 2 resettlement area, and build infrastructure synchronously to move 33 households subject to emergency relocation in two villages of Muong Phu and Muong Piet here.
Hua Na Hydropower has agreed to hand over this abandoned resettlement area to Que Phong district.
By December 2019, the People's Committee of Nghe An province approved a project to relocate 33 households from the area prone to flash floods and dangerous landslides in Thong Thu commune, Que Phong district to the resettlement site. Pu Sai Cang 2, Thong Thu Commune.
The project's capital source is nearly 15 billion dong; of which, the central budget is 50%, the rest is the provincial budget. However, up to now, the project has not been implemented due to lack of funds.
Vice Chairman of the Que Phong District People's Committee Bui Van Hien said that in 2020, due to the limited budget of the province, the COVID-19 epidemic affects the province, the province has not been able to allocate funds, it is not until 2021 that the location to implement the project.
While waiting for capital to build the resettlement area, people in Muong Phu and Muong Piet villages, Thong Thu commune, living along the Nam Piet river are more worried when the rainy season is coming./.