Although experts have repeatedly warned about the risk of heavy rain and flooding, it is hard for the people of Ham Thuan Nam to expect such severe flooding.
1. In late August 2024, the price of dragon fruit on the market has been increasing at a rate of 20,000 VND/kg. Dragon fruit growers in the province in general and Ham Thuan Nam in particular are excited about this good news. Many households have been waiting for the lighting season to produce fruit to sell on the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. However, in 2 days (August 27 and 28), heavy rain continued over a large area in some localities in the province. For the people of Ham Thuan Nam, it was hard to expect such a severe flood.
Because in this land, just a few months before, it was considered a drought center due to the influence of the El Nino phenomenon leading to drought and severe water shortage. Yet in the same land, especially Ham My commune, just a few months later, flooding occurred, causing hundreds of houses and hundreds of hectares of people's crops to be submerged in the flood.
Returning home after the water gradually receded, Mr. Le Van Bang - a long-time dragon fruit farmer in Phu Son village, Ham My commune was still bewildered because he witnessed the sudden return of floods in this land after 10 years, causing unprecedented heavy damage. Mr. Bang's family was cultivating about 1,000 dragon fruit pillars, had just invested in fertilizer, and was preparing for the lighting season, but the unexpected flood washed everything away. More worryingly, the dragon fruit area that was soaked in water for a long time will have waterlogged roots and blistered branches that are very difficult to recover after the water recedes. This farmer said that many surrounding farming households were flooded up to the top of the dragon fruit, and the LED lights that were on the branches had not been removed yet, so the damage could not be counted. Local people also shared that there were some households in the area that had "lost everything" due to natural disasters. That was the case of people renting dragon fruit gardens from the garden owner to cultivate, including the LED lights on the trees. But the results were not yet seen, then the flood came suddenly, water submerged the dragon fruit tops, causing hundreds of light bulbs to be submerged in water, completely damaged and at risk of being claimed for compensation by the garden owner.
With Mr. Danh's family in the same village, when the flood gradually receded, he quickly waded into the flowing water, walking along the rows of dragon fruit to "save" the crops. Looking at the dragon fruit garden after the lighting period, which was bearing fruit, with buds all over the branches, he had no choice but to sadly pick them all. This farmer explained that the flowers and dragon fruit would be damaged if they were soaked in flood water for a day or more. Therefore, to save the trees, people had to cut them down and wait for the water to recede to invest in care, saving the roots and branches of the dragon fruit. Mr. Le Minh Hoang - Head of Phu Son village said that this was the area most severely damaged by the flood, with more than half of the dragon fruit area in the village flooded. As soon as the flood occurred, the village's forces coordinated with the commune to promptly rescue people and property. As for the flooded crop area, we had to wait for the water to recede to be able to fix it.
2. According to information from the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of Binh Thuan province, the heavy rains at the end of August 2024 caused flooding in Ham Thuan Nam, the cause was determined to be due to continuous rain for many days. Water in the mountainous areas of Ham Can, Ham Kiem, Ham Cuong poured in a lot, especially the area along the Cat River (in Phu Son and Phu Khanh villages, Ham My commune), causing flooding for the people in the village.
During the flood, Mr. Mai Kieu - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the province, Deputy Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue inspected the actual flood situation in Ham My commune. Thereby, he requested the locality to ensure absolute safety for people in the flooded area.
At the same time, mobilize maximum forces to support the evacuation of people and assets to safe places. If necessary, propose the People's Committee of Ham Thuan Nam district to support forces and means to carry out the work quickly, promptly and effectively. Mr. Mai Kieu also came to check the water level and safety of Du Du reservoir (upstream area of Cat river), reminding the reservoir management unit to monitor and regulate maximum flood control for downstream, avoiding flood on flood causing more severe flooding.
Floods and rains have caused unforeseen damage to homes, property and agricultural production. Local people and authorities are urgently working to overcome the consequences. Particularly for dragon fruit farmers in Ham Thuan Nam, perhaps after the uncertainty of market prices, people are more worried when facing the risk of natural disasters and floods that can occur at any time.
According to the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue, as of August 30, Ham Thuan Nam district had over 1,100 hectares of crops flooded due to heavy rain and floods (mainly dragon fruit and some rice and fruit trees). Of which, Ham My commune has about 400 hectares of dragon fruit and other crops (being reviewed); Ham Minh commune has about 160 hectares; Ham Kiem commune has 285.72 hectares; Tan Lap commune has 16 hectares; Ham Cuong commune has 165 hectares; Thuan Nam town has 83.53 hectares... Ham Thuan Nam district has not yet had a specific assessment of the damage. The Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue has requested localities affected by natural disasters to inspect and assess the damage, propose support plans, and help people restore production and stabilize their lives soon.
Ham Thuan Nam: Over 1,100 hectares of crops flooded due to heavy rains and floods
Previously, from August 27-28, 2024, heavy rains and strong winds occurred in Ham Thuan Nam district, causing localized flooding in many places, affecting crops, property, and houses of people. The affected areas include Ham My, Ham Minh, Ham Cuong, Ham Kiem, Tan Lap communes and Thuan Nam town. By the morning of August 30, the water began to recede, so the District People's Committee directed the People's Committee of Ham My commune to focus on supporting people to clean up their houses. At the same time, it urged communes and towns to focus on supporting people to recover from the damage. In addition to crop damage, statistics up to this point in Ham Thuan Nam district show that 385 houses were flooded or damaged. Of which, in Ham Minh commune, 3 houses had their fences collapsed; Ham Kiem commune had 74 houses flooded; Ham My commune had about 307 houses flooded (currently reviewing statistics)...
K. Hang
Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/ham-thuan-nam-cay-trong-thiet-hai-nang-sau-ngap-lut-123683.html
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