Join hands to rebuild life

Amidst the mud and the pain of loss after the flood, the people of Tuyen Quang did not give up; they wiped away their tears, cleaned up their shops, rebuilt their roofs, restored production and business, and resumed their lives. The hands that were calloused by the rain and wind sowed seeds of hope, continued their journey of making a living with determination and faith, "shaken off the mud" and stood up, steadfast after the challenge.

Thang Loi Pharmaceutical Company, Ha Giang 2 ward, suffered heavy damage but has now restored business operations.

Restore production and business

During the recent floods, Tuyen Quang suffered unprecedented heavy losses. Total damage was estimated at over 4,300 billion VND. Natural disasters not only swept away property but also took away the livelihoods of hundreds of households, businesses and small traders. Many people were left penniless, but in difficult times, the spirit of self-reliance and solidarity was promoted.

Two weeks after the flood, the shopping atmosphere at HT Quang Trung supermarket, Ha Giang 1 ward has become bustling again. Standing on the banks of the Lo river, this was one of the businesses that suffered the most damage when the floodwaters flooded in, sweeping most of the goods into the river, the damage amounted to billions of dong. As soon as the water receded, all the staff worked together to clean up, rearrange the shelves, wipe away every trace of mud, and bring the system back to operation, not letting the business flow be interrupted.

On the other side of the Lo River, Ban Nguyen Restaurant, a subsidiary of Ban Nguyen Foods Company, was also devastated by the flood, with damages of over VND2 billion. However, after only a week, the restaurant was back open to welcome guests. Mr. Nguyen Van Nguyen, Director of the Company, shared: “As soon as the water receded, we immediately started cleaning up and invested over VND500 million to renovate the facilities. Now, Ban Nguyen is spacious and beautiful again, ready to serve guests.”

In agricultural production, people are also busy restoring production. Thousands of households have empty fields and barns, but as soon as the water recedes, cadres, militia, and youth union members go back to the fields to help people harvest rice, trying to minimize damage. In areas of vegetables and fruit trees that can still recover, people rebuild trellises, prune damaged areas, till the soil, and fertilize the plants so that they can recover quickly. In fields that have been completely lost, farmers have proactively switched to growing short-term winter crops such as corn, potatoes, and vegetables. At the same time, livestock and aquaculture households have also reinforced barns, cages, disinfected, and re-raised livestock.

According to Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Giang 1 Ward Mao Quyet Thang, the entire ward has 2,700 households flooded, of which up to 1,900 households suffered major damage, many businesses, small traders, and business households suffered billions of dong in damage. The ward has mobilized forces and means to support people to overcome the consequences. Up to now, most of the facilities have resumed operations after the flood.

Dong A Production and Trading Company Limited, Ha Giang 1 Ward, restores production and business after the flood.

Get back to life

The province has 84 educational facilities, 25 medical facilities, 62 irrigation works damaged. The electricity and telecommunication systems suffered heavy damage with 106 electric poles, 2 transformer stations, 4 factories, 260 stations and 14 cable lines broken, 33 clean water supply works, 3 markets, and commercial centers were seriously affected. In this situation, the local government, armed forces and people of the whole province joined hands to take action.

Provincial leaders promptly arrived at the grassroots level, directly directing the work of overcoming the consequences of floods and storms, requiring the earliest possible stabilization of people's lives. More than 23,000 households were promptly evacuated from dangerous areas and have now returned to normal life. Families in areas at high risk of landslides were temporarily arranged to stay in safe places while waiting to be evacuated to new places. More than 37,800 officers, soldiers, militiamen and dozens of specialized vehicles were mobilized to clean up, clear the flow, and open traffic routes to ensure convenient trading and travel for people. After a short time, electricity, water, and telecommunications were restored; schools, medical stations, and traditional markets resumed operations. Many relief and support activities for people affected by natural disasters have promptly encouraged, shared, and motivated people to rise up.

Minh Khai Market, Ha Giang 2 Ward, is located in the center of the ward, with a scale of over 100 stalls. During the recent flood, this was one of the markets that was deeply flooded and most severely affected when the water rose quickly at night, most of the traders could not run in time, causing their goods to be swept away and damaged, many people fell into poverty. Thanks to the timely support of the government in cleaning, disinfecting and restoring the infrastructure, the stalls have now been repaired, and the shelves are full of green vegetables, fresh meat and fish.

The recent floods have caused severe damage to the power system. With the motto "Where the flood recedes, we will fix it", the electricity industry has mobilized maximum human resources, vehicles and materials to quickly approach the scene, fix and handle incidents, ensuring safety and restoring power to people as quickly as possible. In particular, priority is given to providing power to hospitals, medical facilities and police and military units to serve the rescue work, rescue, and support people in difficulty and damage after the floods.

The recent flood has isolated nearly 1,800 households in Chiem Hoa commune, hundreds of households had to be urgently evacuated, over 112 hectares of rice were damaged by over 70%, more than 81 hectares of crops were inundated, 11 hectares of aquaculture ponds were overflowed, severely damaged. In particular, Chiem Hoa Secondary and High School for Ethnic Minority Boarding Students was deeply flooded, many items were damaged. Quang Trung Primary School, Ha Giang 2 Ward was one of the most severely affected educational institutions when water flooded up to half of the second floor. Almost all of the school's facilities were washed away and severely damaged. However, in order not to let any students miss school, the Education sector, localities, organizations and individuals mobilized donations and supported schools to overcome the consequences of natural disasters, helping them go to school after the flood. Up to now, 100% of schools in the area have returned to normal teaching and learning, ensuring the school year schedule.

Trung Ha commune youth union helps people of Chiem Hoa commune harvest rice and prepare for winter crop.

To not repeat the hardship

Although life has “rose from the mud” and is recovering after the flood, people's worries are still constant as climate change makes the weather increasingly extreme, with unusually heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides occurring continuously. In just the last 5 years, Tuyen Quang has suffered many times of heavy damage to both people and property. Without fundamental and sustainable solutions, today's hardships are likely to be repeated in the coming rainy seasons.
One of the main causes of serious flooding in Ha Giang 1, Ha Giang 2, and Minh Xuan wards is the degraded drainage system, which can no longer meet the needs of heavy rains. Comrade Nguyen Xuan Long, Head of the Economic - Infrastructure Department of Minh Xuan ward, said that the situation of clogged sewers and stagnant water mainly originates from the old, unsynchronized drainage system. Many sewers were built a long time ago and have deteriorated but have not been regularly maintained, while some households arbitrarily cover the sewers to prevent odors. When it rains heavily, leaves and garbage are swept away, quickly causing blockages, slowing down water drainage and causing local flooding. This problem is being focused on by local authorities to review and gradually overcome.

In addition, adjusting hydropower planning and strictly controlling flood discharge are essential to ensure safety for downstream areas. Re-planning flood-prone areas, relocating people in landslide and deep-flooded areas to safe places, building sustainable resettlement areas and flood-proof houses. Protecting upstream forests, creating a "green shield" to protect land, water, and keep the village peaceful.

After the flood, many lessons were learned, but the most important thing is to provide timely information, disaster warnings and raise people's proactive spirit. Therefore, applying science and technology to early warning of natural disasters, building flood maps, flood sensor systems, educating people on disaster prevention skills, first aid and escape to help them live safely during the flood season is extremely necessary. The Department of Agriculture also encourages people to switch to suitable crops and livestock that can withstand flooding and drought, and grow vegetables and fruits in greenhouses to minimize risks caused by natural disasters.

After the rain, the sky brightens again. The new sunlight eases the losses and hardships of the flood season. The people of Tuyen Quang, resilient after the storm, are sowing seeds of hope together, persistently building a peaceful and happy life, and on that journey, many hands are needed to cultivate and care for them.

Bien Luan

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202510/chung-tay-tai-thiet-cuoc-song-a092278/