Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment: Expedite the arrangement of 21 resettlement areas for people affected by natural disasters.

Continuing the discussion in the assembly hall of the 35th session of the 18th term of the Nghe An Provincial People's Council, on the afternoon of December 11th, Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet - Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment - answered some questions from provincial People's Council delegates and voters regarding the resettlement of people affected by natural disasters in western Nghe An province.

The comrades chairing the discussion session in the hall. Photo: Thanh Cuong

During the plenary session, delegate Que Thi Tram Ngoc pointed out that there are delays in the implementation of many projects to relocate and resettle people from landslide-prone areas, flash floods, and mudslides; and to support the restoration of production and economic development. Therefore, the delegate requested the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments to pay attention and prioritize the allocation of funds for resettlement projects for the people.

Representative Que Thi Tram Ngoc - Deputy Head of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council - poses a question. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Representative Vi Van Quy raised a long-standing issue that has remained unresolved across several terms: a single elephant that frequently invades and destroys the property of residents in Muong Chong commune. The representative proposed considering policies to compensate residents for damages caused by wild elephants; allocating funds for a rapid response team at the local level; and considering relocating the elephant to an area where its herd lives.

Concerned about the western region of Nghe An province , delegate Luc Thi Lien noted that despite some development, the infrastructure in the western region remains inadequate, people's lives are still difficult, and the number of poor households is increasing. In particular, the western region is facing severe negative impacts from natural disasters, hindering development. Delegate Luc Thi Lien proposed that the Provincial People's Committee submit a proposal to upgrade National Highway 7A; improve the hydrological monitoring system; and establish specific mechanisms and policies to enhance the resilience of the western region against natural disasters.

Representative Vi Van Quy asks a question. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Regarding the concerns raised by delegate Que Thi Tram Ngoc concerning the arrangement of resettlement land for households in the western region of Nghe An province recently affected by typhoons No. 3, No. 5, and No. 10, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Hoang Quoc Viet, stated: After typhoon No. 3, the Department of Agriculture and Environment established four working groups to go to the western communes to survey locations and assist local authorities in constructing resettlement areas.

Currently, the Department has surveyed 21 resettlement areas in 15 communes, serving more than 1,000 households. The Department of Finance is also actively advising on the allocation of funds to communes to implement a number of resettlement areas that are considered urgent.

According to Comrade Hoang Quoc Viet, the Department's viewpoint, as well as that of the provincial leadership, is to prioritize the issue of mixed-use residential relocation in accordance with Resolution 09 of the Provincial People's Council in 2024. According to the Provincial People's Council Resolution, in cases where households lose their homes, if they have the means to purchase land from relatives, neighbors, or friends, they will receive support of 250 million VND covering both land and housing costs.

And in the past period, according to reports from the communes, 101 households have been relocated in a mixed-use arrangement in accordance with Resolution 09 of the Provincial People's Council. This mixed-use arrangement ensures greater stability in people's lives. Therefore, the Department also hopes that localities will actively support the people in arranging mixed-use arrangements for households that lost land and houses due to the impact of typhoons No. 3 and No. 5.

Representative Luc Thi Lien - Deputy Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Provincial People's Council - poses a question. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment stated that, through the working sessions of the Provincial Party Secretary and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee with the western communes, it was evident that the local authorities were still unfamiliar with the procedures and methods for resettlement and the arrangement of mixed-use residential areas. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has assigned a permanent working group to provide guidance to the communes.

Regarding the issue of elephants frequently damaging people's property in Muong Chong commune, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment stated that there are currently about 10-12 elephants in the entire province, including one elephant in Muong Chong commune that lives alone, and conflicts between humans and elephants occur annually.

Regarding compensation for production losses for households whose crops were damaged by elephants, it is requested that the People's Committee of Muong Chong commune immediately assess the damage, promptly evaluate the situation, and prepare detailed dossiers to submit to the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Finance for appropriate support for the affected people.

Taking into account the feedback, in the coming period, the Department of Agriculture and Environment will conduct research to propose reasonable policies to ensure the rights of the people while also ensuring conservation work in accordance with the law.

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Hoang Quoc Viet, speaks at the discussion session in the assembly hall. Photo: Thanh Cuong.

Clarifying the arrangement of 21 resettlement areas for people in the Western region affected by natural disasters, Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council - emphasized the role of the Department of Agriculture and Environment in coordinating with localities to select suitable locations. He stressed that choosing the wrong location could lead to the area being flattened after another flood, significantly impacting the people. He also requested the Department of Agriculture and Environment to coordinate with the Department of Finance to advise on funding for the timely implementation of the resettlement area construction for the people.

Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu also noted that, based on monitoring by the Provincial People's Council and feedback from voters, the progress of urgent projects in Nghe An province is still too slow. This is related to procedures and paperwork, as the previous investor was at the district level and has now been transferred to the commune level.

The comrade suggested that the Department of Agriculture and Environment pay attention to advising the province on the announcement of disaster relief projects so that they can be included in urgent projects. In addition, attention should be paid to implementing Resolution 09 of the Provincial People's Council, considering relocating families without housing after natural disasters and floods to areas where they can live. At the same time, allocate 250 million VND per house according to Resolution 09 of the Provincial People's Council. Besides land issues, departments, sectors, and localities need to pay attention to supporting and creating sustainable livelihoods for people in mountainous areas.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/giam-doc-so-nong-nghiep-va-moi-truong-som-bo-tri-21-khu-tai-dinh-cu-nha-cho-nguoi-dan-bi-anh-huong-thien-tai-10314845.html