Two historic resettlement migrations

In the exciting and heroic atmosphere of the 130th Anniversary of the Establishment of Son La Province, looking back at the journey of construction and development, the Party Committee, government, army and people of all ethnic groups in Son La are always proud of the heroic history and the great achievements contributing to the country's construction. In particular, the two large resettlement migrations to serve the construction of the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant and the Son La Hydropower Plant are the highlights for Son La to break through, integrate and develop.

Quynh Nhai Commune Center Photo: PV

Immediately after the day of peace restoration in the North, our Party and State affirmed: To build socialism, "electrification" must go one step ahead. On the majestic Da River, the first exploratory drills were drilled into the ground, starting the journey of constructing hydroelectric projects. At exactly 10 o'clock, November 6, 1979, the whole country turned to Hoa Binh to celebrate the groundbreaking day of the largest hydroelectric project in Southeast Asia, with a capacity of 1,920 MW. On December 24, 1994, our country inaugurated the Hoa Binh hydroelectric project on the Da River, marking the result of 15 years of selfless labor for the future electricity of the Fatherland by tens of thousands of cadres, workers and Soviet experts at the construction site. With the scale and stature of a project of the century, the hydroelectric plant on the Da River has been effectively serving the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country.

The Hoa Binh hydropower project has a particularly great contribution from Son La province, with the flooded area of ​​the reservoir covering 45 communes in 5 old districts: Phu Yen, Bac Yen, Moc Chau, Muong La and Mai Son, with 5,200 households and 350,000 people affected. The people of all ethnic groups in the reservoir have promoted their revolutionary tradition, put national and ethnic interests above family and individual interests, and overcome all difficulties in daily life and production to move to a new resettlement site. Up to now, Son La province continues to receive the attention and support of the Party and the State in investing in infrastructure construction, supporting production, and stabilizing the lives of households, worthy of the great contribution of the ethnic groups in the reservoir to the Hoa Binh hydropower project.

On the steps of the Da River, the Son La Hydropower Project officially started construction in 2005. The project is located on the Pa Vinh line in the territory of It Ong commune, old Muong La district. The Son La Hydropower Project has an installed capacity of 2,400 MW, including 6 units, each unit of 400 MW. This was the largest project in Southeast Asia at that time.

To carry out the resettlement task, Son La province had to relocate 58,337 people in 169 villages of 17 communes, belonging to the three old districts of Quynh Nhai, Thuan Chau, and Muong La to resettle in 70 areas, 276 concentrated resettlement points in rural, urban areas, and mixed areas in 8/12 old districts and cities in the province. This is considered an extremely important task for the Party Committee and people of Son La ethnic groups, and at the same time, this is also an opportunity for Son La to have the conditions to promote the shift of economic and social structure, rearrange the population according to the planning, and accelerate investment in socio-economic infrastructure. Our province has focused highly on leading, directing, and organizing the implementation of compensation, migration, and resettlement of Son La hydropower plant, in which it is determined that organizations must be established to concentrate on unifying the leadership and direction of resettlement work from the province to the grassroots. At the same time, promote decentralization of management to promote overall strength in implementing the Son La Hydropower Resettlement Project.

With the goal of “All for the electricity of the Fatherland tomorrow”, the resettlement of Son La Hydropower Plant has become a historical milestone, of special significance. By April 15, 2010, Son La province had completed the resettlement task, contributing significantly to the completion of the Son La Hydropower Plant 3 years ahead of schedule compared to the Resolution of the National Assembly.

On December 17, 2010, Unit 1 was connected to the national grid; by October 10, 2012, all 6 units were operating, supplying over 10 billion kWh per year. The Son La Hydropower Project also helps prevent floods in the rainy season, provides water in the dry season for the Northern Delta and contributes to the socio-economic development of the Northwest region.

Mr. Dinh Van Men is one of the few people who directly participated in these two large migrations. He used to be the Head of the Resettlement Management Board of the old Quynh Nhai district, then the Deputy Head of the Resettlement Project Management Board of the province's hydropower plant. Recalling the peak period of the migration of people for the Son La Hydropower Plant, Mr. Men said: Learning from the experience of the migration of people to clear the reservoir of the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant, the resettlement migration for the Son La Hydropower Plant was carried out synchronously by our province, mobilizing the entire political system to participate. The whole province was like a large construction site, bustling day and night to carry out the task of relocating people. Migration policies were implemented synchronously from allocating residential land to households resettling in rural areas to investing in building infrastructure to serve 2,189 projects in resettlement areas and points. Living conditions in resettlement areas and points have been basically improved, customs and cultural and spiritual life of the people have been raised, health care conditions for the people are getting better and better. Implementing the resettlement migration goal "The new place must be better than the old place".

On the vast and majestic land of Son La, there are now countless rivers and streams that have been tamed into endless sources of electricity. Asphalt and concrete roads reach every village and commune; the foothills and hillsides are covered with green tea, coffee, and fruit trees; countless constructions, industrial parks, and urban areas have sprung up; new rural areas have sprung up amidst the mountains and forests, with electricity shining like stars. The imprint of two historic mass migrations is a vivid demonstration of the solidarity and unanimity of the people with the policies of the Party, the State, and the province, creating an important highlight in the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country, for Son La to develop and integrate.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/xa-hoi/hai-cuoc-dai-di-dan-tai-dinh-cu-lich-su-BLdwJNeHR.html