Anxious wait... for a place to live

Seven years after the flash floods that buried houses and fields in Ma Hac village, Trung Ly commune, many households still live at the foot of a mountain where a crack extending for about 1km has appeared. A resettlement area is included in the plan, but the new homes are still out of sight. Meanwhile, every rainy season, sleepless nights and emergency evacuations continue in this border village.

Ms. Lu Thi Mao (right) and Ms. Thao Thi Say stand beside their house, which was flooded with mud during the 2018 flash flood in Ma Hac village, Trung Ly commune.

Sleepless nights at the foot of the mountain

The Sao Noi stream still flows gently through Ma Hac village, Trung Ly commune. This small stream, winding through the rocks at the foot of the mountain, provides water for daily life and irrigation for many Mong households in the village. But these same streams also became the conduit for the devastating flood that swept through the village during a rainy night in August 2018. After many days of heavy rain, water from upstream flowed down the streams, carrying mud, soil, and boulders from the mountainside, flooding the residential area. In just one night, many houses were buried, fields were destroyed, and people's lives were turned upside down. Seven rainy seasons have passed, but the haunting memory of that natural disaster remains vivid in the minds of many families. On the mountain behind the village, long cracks still stand as a warning of the risk of landslides. Life in Ma Hac has gradually returned to normal, but the feeling of unease has not yet subsided.

In her house, once engulfed in mud, Mrs. Lu Thi Mao still vividly remembers that rainy night. She pointed towards the hillside behind the village, where trees had grown back but the traces of the landslide remained. Her daughter-in-law, Thao Thi Say, showed us the spots that had been buried by mud and the corners of the house displaced by the floodwaters. The 2018 natural disaster severely damaged the family's home. Mud and rocks, carried by the floodwaters, swept into the yard and damaged many belongings.

Not far away, the house of Mr. Vang A Ha, Head of the Front Committee of Ma Hac village, sits on a high piece of land right next to his parents' house. Standing on the porch, he pointed towards the hillside where a landslide occurred during the 2018 flash flood. That year, Ha was in 10th grade in Ngoc Lac. Due to illness, he took time off from school and became a witness to the entire devastating flood that struck the village. “That night, the whole family was persuaded by the commune officials to evacuate. No one slept all night. The sound of rocks and earth falling from the mountain was deafening. Every time we shone a flashlight towards the village, we saw more rocks and earth continuing to pour down,” Mr. Ha recalled.

The area along the Sao Noi stream and the foothills behind Ma Hac village was affected by flash floods and landslides during the 2018 natural disaster.

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The next morning, when the rain subsided, the villagers returned to their hamlet. Two houses were completely buried, many others were severely damaged, and nearly 2 hectares of rice paddies were covered in mud. The flood not only swept away property but also changed the lives of many families. With post-disaster relief and family savings, the families of Ly A Do B and Ly A Da left Ma Hac and moved to an area near Chieng Nua bridge to start a new life. The majority of the remaining villagers continued to cling to their land, rebuilding their houses and establishing their lives at the foot of the mountain.

The Ma Hac village currently has 42 households with 226 inhabitants, mostly living at the foot of the mountain and along the streams. According to the Party Secretary and Head of the village, Ho A Tram, after the natural disaster in 2018, a crack about 1km long appeared on the mountainside behind the village. “The villagers here are always worried whenever there is heavy, prolonged rain. Before the rainy season, commune officials and the disaster prevention and control task force come down to the village to inspect areas at risk of landslides and remind people to proactively take precautions. When it rains for many consecutive days, we encourage households to go to the village cultural center or other safer places to take shelter,” Mr. Tram shared.

In recent years, whenever there has been prolonged heavy rain, the People's Committee of Trung Ly commune has organized a review of areas at risk of landslides and informed residents to proactively take preventive measures. The commune and village disaster prevention and control task force regularly monitors the situation and urges households in dangerous areas to move to safe places when necessary. The kindergarten in the village is prepared as a temporary shelter in emergency situations.

Waiting for the day... to settle down.

In 2022, the Provincial People's Council approved the investment plan for the construction of a concentrated resettlement area for the people of Ma Hac village. In 2023, the People's Committee of the former Muong Lat district approved the detailed construction plan at a scale of 1/500. According to the project documents, the Ma Hac resettlement area will cover approximately 4.5 hectares, intended to accommodate 39 households with a total investment of approximately 11.7 billion VND. The project is expected to help people move out of areas at high risk of flash floods and landslides. To date, the resettlement area is still in the process of completing procedures and cannot yet be implemented according to the initial plan.

The Ma Hac kindergarten school site has been prepared by the local authorities to serve as a temporary shelter for residents in the event of heavy rain, floods, or landslides.

Mr. Tran Van Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Trung Ly commune, said: "The project implementation process has encountered many difficulties related to the total investment amount, land availability, and topographical conditions. The locality is coordinating with relevant departments and agencies to review and complete the dossier to continue implementation in the 2026-2030 period. We very much hope that the project will be implemented soon so that people can have stable housing before each rainy and stormy season."

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According to the investor's representative, the terrain of Trung Ly commune is mainly mountainous with steep slopes and is heavily fragmented, making it difficult to find suitable land for the construction of the resettlement area. The large volume of earth and rock excavation has resulted in higher actual costs compared to the approved total investment. Currently, the investor is coordinating with relevant units to review and finalize the plan to resolve the obstacles.

Late in the afternoon, the Sao Noi stream still flows silently through Ma Hac village. On the mountainside behind the Hmong houses, a crack about 1km long remains after many rainy seasons. The people are still waiting for the resettlement area, while the local government continues to petition and complete the necessary paperwork to resolve the remaining difficulties. At the foot of that mountain, the lights in the houses are still on, as they have been for many years. The only difference is that, along with the sound of rain on the corrugated iron roofs during each storm season, the people are still waiting for the day they can settle down in a new land.

Text and photos: Tang Thuy

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/khac-khoai-cho-an-cu-292206.htm