Proactive measures to prevent and control landslides.

Việt Nam•08/08/2023

Landslides are a dangerous type of natural disaster, occurring very quickly and unexpectedly, often causing serious damage to people and property, and affecting production and people's lives. Given the increasingly complex and unpredictable climate changes, the province is paying special attention to landslide prevention and control to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

Vinh Phuc province is proactively preventing and mitigating landslides to minimize unfortunate damage. (Photo: Urgent efforts to address landslides on National Highway 2B leading to Tam Dao town)

An unpredictable danger

In recent years, landslides have become a nightmare for people across the country whenever the rainy season arrives. This year alone, in recent days, landslides and subsidence have occurred repeatedly in localities nationwide, causing heavy losses of life and property.

At noon on July 30th, a landslide occurred on the Bảo Lộc pass in Lâm Đồng province at Km103+100. The landslide buried a traffic police station located in the middle of the Bảo Lộc pass, trapping four people (including three police officers and one civilian), damaging three vehicles, and completely cutting off traffic through the Bảo Lộc pass.

On the morning of August 4th, a car with license plate 26A-052.81, driven by Mr. LHH residing in Son La city, Son La province, was traveling on National Highway 6. At Km128+750 (in Tong Dau commune, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province), a landslide occurred, with a large rock weighing tons rolling down from above and hitting the vehicle. At the scene, the front of the car was crushed and deformed by the rock, the rear window shattered, and the car was pushed against the roadside guardrail. Mr. L. and three other people in the car were fortunate not to be injured.

Also on August 4th, heavy rain caused serious landslides in Minh Phu commune, Soc Son district, Hanoi, burying many cars under mud and soil up to their sides, with estimated significant damage.

Most recently, on the afternoon of August 5th, heavy to very heavy rain in Khao Mang, Lao Chai, and Ho Bon communes, Mu Cang Chai district, Yen Bai province (bordering Than Uyen district, Lai Chau province) caused flash floods and serious landslides. The natural disaster blocked National Highway 32. By 10:00 AM on August 6th, vehicles and pedestrians were unable to pass. Initial reports indicate that the heavy rain caused landslides, with rocks rolling into houses, resulting in the deaths of two young children from a H'Mong ethnic minority family in Khao Mang commune and burying much property.

In Vinh Phuc province, on May 25, 2022, while residents were cleaning up and repairing damage caused by heavy rains, a sudden landslide occurred, collapsing a house in the hilly area of Kim Long commune, Tam Duong district, killing 3 people and injuring 1.

Also in 2022, under the influence of a rainfall of up to 194 mm, plus previous rains a few days earlier, on the morning of August 26th, approximately 15 landslides of varying sizes occurred on National Highway 2B leading to Tam Dao town. The most severe landslide was at Km20, where about 300 cubic meters of soil and rocks slid down from the mountain, along with fallen trees, paralyzing traffic on both the road to and from the town.

Most recently, on June 28, 2023, a landslide occurred on the right bank of the Pho Day River in Son Dong commune, Lap Thach district. In this incident, newly constructed embankment structures in the Mau Temple area, part of the Pho Day River landslide remediation project at the Mau Temple and Phu Binh II pumping station, suffered serious subsidence and damage. Cracks have appeared in the temple courtyard and are showing signs of widening.

Statistics have partly confirmed that landslides are a serious problem that humanity has been facing in recent times. At the same time, it demands greater attention to landslide prevention and control, especially during the rainy season.

Proactive response

In response to the unusual weather patterns and to proactively address natural disasters during the rainy season, minimizing damage to people and property caused by landslides, the Provincial People's Committee has issued a document to relevant units regarding proactive landslide prevention and control, ensuring the safety of people's lives and property during the rainy season.

Accordingly, Official Letter No. 5534/UBND-NN from the People's Committee of Vinh Phuc province states: In implementing the Prime Minister's directive in Official Dispatch No. 607/CĐ-TTg on proactively preventing and combating landslides and ensuring the safety of people's lives and property before and during the rainy season, the People's Committee of Vinh Phuc province requests all departments, agencies, and the People's Committees of districts and cities to proactively implement disaster prevention and control measures in general, and landslide prevention and control measures in particular, in order to ensure the safety of lives and minimize property damage to people and infrastructure.

Specifically, it requires units to strictly implement Prime Minister's Directive 607/CĐ-TTg and the Provincial People's Committee's Directive 07/CT-UBND on strengthening disaster relief and search and rescue work, and ensuring the safety of irrigation and dike structures in 2023.

Organize inspections and reviews of residential areas, schools, medical facilities, agency offices, and barracks along rivers, streams, canals, and sloping areas to promptly identify areas at risk of landslides during heavy rains; resolutely organize relocation or proactively implement landslide prevention and evacuation plans in case of adverse situations to minimize damage to people, property, and infrastructure.

The Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue closely monitors the situation of natural disasters and landslides, proactively directing, inspecting, and urging departments, agencies, and localities to implement prevention and mitigation measures to minimize damage caused by natural disasters and landslides.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in coordination with relevant units, advises on and implements measures to prevent and control landslides and carries out the Project on preventing and controlling riverbank and coastal landslides until 2030, which has been approved by the Prime Minister. It directs and inspects disaster prevention and control work at construction sites under its management, especially construction projects in residential areas along rivers, streams, and slopes.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment advises the Provincial People's Committee to strictly manage and strengthen inspection and supervision of the licensing and exploitation of soil, stone, sand, and gravel on rivers and streams to limit landslides; and to strictly handle cases of illegal exploitation of soil, stone, sand, and gravel, and illegal stockpiling of construction materials in accordance with the law.

The Department of Construction, the Department of Transport, and the People's Committees of districts and cities, based on their assigned functions and duties, shall direct inspections to ensure safety at construction sites, especially those in residential areas along rivers, streams, and slopes; and suspend construction if safety is not ensured or if there is a risk of landslides, affecting river flow and flood drainage.

The provincial police are intensifying patrols and strictly handling cases of illegal exploitation of soil, stone, sand, and gravel on rivers and streams in accordance with the law. Information and communication agencies are coordinating with the Standing Office of the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue, and the Provincial Meteorological and Hydrological Station to strengthen the dissemination of laws on disaster prevention and control, landslide prevention, and guidance for people on landslide response skills…

The directives have been very specific. It is crucial that agencies, units, and localities implement them fully, seriously, and responsibly. Only then can we minimize unfortunate incidents and contribute to ensuring the safety of people's lives and property.

Text and photos: Thieu Vu

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