The greater the difficulties, the more decisive action must be taken.

"The more difficult the situation, the more we must remain united and act decisively to protect the people," emphasized Nguyen Manh Quyen, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, during an inspection of the response to Typhoon No. 3 in Xuan Mai and Tran Phu communes on the afternoon of July 21.

Be proactive at the grassroots level, don't be reactive to natural disasters.

Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen and leaders of various departments and agencies worked with Xuan Mai and Tran Phu communes on responding to Typhoon No. 3. Photo: Kim Nhue

Xuan Mai and Tran Phu communes are two areas formed by the merger of several former communes. Their fragmented, low-lying terrain is frequently affected by flash floods, and they have been identified as key disaster-prone areas of the city. According to Nguyen Anh Duc, Chairman of the Xuan Mai Commune People's Committee, the commune has over 14,000 households, of which approximately 1,433 households, comprising 6,553 people, are regularly affected by flooding. The interspersed hills and low-lying fields limit drainage capacity, threatening the safety of residents, production, and infrastructure.

Chairman of Tran Phu Commune People's Committee, Do Hoang Anh Chau, proposed solutions to ensure the safety of people in areas affected by flash floods. Photo: Kim Nhue.

Immediately after establishing the new commune under the two-tiered local government model, the commune developed a disaster risk response plan, arranging 20 evacuation points, ready to receive approximately 6,500 people. Evacuation support teams, rapid response forces, militia, military personnel, etc., have been mobilized. However, the commune faces difficulties in terms of equipment such as motorboats, pumps, life jackets, and the regular police force currently only has 65 people, making it difficult to ensure coordination when natural disasters occur.

According to Do Hoang Anh Chau, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tran Phu commune, the commune has fully established subcommittees, prepared a force of 1,200 people on-site, coordinated with an additional 200 officers and soldiers, and signed a preliminary contract for the supply of materials including 15,000 sacks, 2,000 bamboo stakes, tarpaulins, and motorized vehicles. Patrol and duty stations are also ready to deploy. However, the locality also requested the city to supplement specialized equipment and clarify the new administrative boundaries after the merger to ensure coordinated guidance without overlapping.

The new context demands a more decisive and coordinated approach.

Leaders of the Hanoi Capital Command and the Hanoi City Police affirmed their support for localities in ensuring the safety of people's lives and property in situations of natural disasters and incidents. Photo: Kim Nhue

At the meeting, representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Hanoi Capital Command, the Hanoi City Police, and others affirmed their commitment to supporting localities with personnel, equipment, and ensuring communication and transportation in the event of major and complex natural disasters.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen assessed: "Typhoon No. 3 has unpredictable developments, accompanied by very heavy rain, with the possibility of flash floods, posing a high risk of widespread flooding in many localities. Meanwhile, this is the first year implementing the two-tiered local government model, so some places are still confused and not yet synchronized in directing the response."

The Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee acknowledged Xuan Mai and Tran Phu as two key areas with high levels of proactiveness, clear plans, and rescue forces. He also emphasized the importance of effectively implementing the "four on-the-spot" model, ensuring the safety of people's lives and property, as a top priority in all natural disaster situations.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen directed the forces to coordinate seamlessly to ensure the safety of the people in the face of natural disasters. Photo: Kim Nhue

Concluding the meeting, the Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee requested that all units not be complacent or negligent in any natural disaster situation. "Although the new apparatus still has much work to be done to consolidate, this is also an opportunity to test the command and management capacity from the grassroots level. The more difficult the situation, the more we must be committed and act decisively to protect the people," said Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen.

In the long term, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen instructed the Department of Agriculture and Environment to coordinate with local authorities to study a sustainable plan to ensure the safety of residents for at least 50 years. “We need to consider options for relocating residents from low-lying areas to new, safe, and stable locations, and select an economic development model for the relocated areas. We also need to build a sustainable dike system…”, the Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee suggested.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/cang-trong-kho-khan-cang-phai-hanh-dong-quyet-liet-709902.html