Hoi An after the flood: The ancient town strives to clean up the mud and welcome visitors back

The receding floodwaters left behind thick layers of mud on many streets of Hoi An’s ancient streets. Locals and authorities are working hard to clean up the mess and restore tourism activities soon.

Hoi An strives to recover from major floods

After many days of deep flooding due to heavy rains and hydroelectric dam discharges, water has begun to recede from the ancient streets of Hoi An since the afternoon of November 21. However, the legacy left behind is a thick layer of mud, covering many roads along the Hoai River and neighboring areas, requiring a large-scale cleanup effort to restore the ancient town's original beauty.

Many streets in Hoi An ancient town were covered with mud after floodwaters receded.

On roads such as Bach Dang, Nguyen Phuc Chu, Nguyen Hoang, the mud layer is up to 0.2 meters thick in some places, making it difficult to travel and do daily activities. Hoi An Public Works Joint Stock Company has mobilized specialized excavators and high-pressure water sprayers to handle the thick mud layer, in coordination with local residents and businesses.

The travel rhythm is not completely interrupted

Despite the difficulties, the tourism life in Hoi An has not stopped. Many tourists, especially international tourists, continue to visit, witness and record images of local people trying to overcome the consequences of natural disasters. Some tourists have to go barefoot or use plastic bags to cover their shoes to move through muddy roads.

Foreign tourists walk barefoot through the muddy road to continue their journey of discovery .

Notably, boat trips on the Hoai River are still taking place. Local authorities have temporarily suspended ticket sales to facilitate cleanup efforts, allowing people to use motorbikes in the walking street area to transport furniture and materials.

Urgent cleanup work

This is the third time in over three weeks that Hoi An residents have had to deal with the task of cleaning up mud after floods. The worst flooding occurred on the night of October 28, when many streets were submerged 1.5 to 2.5 meters deep.

Environmental workers and residents urgently cleaned up the streets as soon as the water receded.

The cleaning teams work on the principle of "where the water recedes, there is cleaning". The mud is collected, the waste is filtered and then pushed back into the Hoai River. The water intakes are also cleared to ensure the drainage system works effectively. It is expected that the main roads in the old quarter will be cleaned as soon as possible to stabilize people's lives and fully restore tourism activities.

Special excavators were mobilized to speed up the process of clearing mud on the streets.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/hoi-an-sau-lu-pho-co-no-luc-don-bun-non-don-khach-tro-lai-3311002.html