"Abandon property to run away from people"
Fleeing from her stilt house nestled under Pu Xai Cang mountain in Muong Piet village, Thong Thu commune, Que Phong district, Ms. Luong Thi Hoa still hasn’t recovered. Just on the afternoon of September 22, the rocks and soil had already caused the stilt house to tilt. But this morning, the house collapsed because it couldn’t support the huge amount of rocks and soil that poured down from the mountain.
She sobbed: It has been raining for many days, the ground is soft, then the mountain has collapsed. Seeing the house that I have saved my whole life to build, I have to abandon it and run away without any other way. It is so heartbreaking. Luckily, I have moved all my belongings in the house, otherwise…
Living by relying on nature, but when nature gets angry, there is no way to resist. In a moment, people are left with nothing.
In a state of insecurity, 41 households with 186 people scattered throughout the villages in Que Phong district were also forced to evacuate, due to the high risk of landslides due to prolonged rain. “As of the late afternoon of September 22, the entire district had to evacuate 26 households with 126 people to safe places. Of which, Thong Thu had 16 households, Nam Nhoong had 15 households, Tri Le had 5 households, Cam Muon had 2 households, Quang Phong had 2 households... If not evacuated, the consequences would be unpredictable because the surrounding mountains are showing signs of collapsing,” said Mr. Phan Trong Dung, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Que Phong district.
Two days earlier, the prolonged rain had caused the mountain soil to crack. The cracks extended to the foundations of the houses of Mr. Hoang Van Son and Mr. Kha Van Canh, both in Bung Xat village (Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong district). These are households that have settled in this area for a long time, have never witnessed the fear of landslides, but now have to "abandon their property and flee" in a state of confusion.
The assets in the house have been relocated by the authorities and the villagers. Only the stilt house of two households cannot be dismantled in time. In the temporary solutions, Chau Khe Border Guard officers and local authorities, with dozens of people, tied the pillars and rushed to carry them temporarily away from the landslide site. Mr. Kha Van Canh in Bung Xat village, Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong district, pondered: I am very worried, if the cracks continue to last, our house will be in danger. If the rocks and soil bury the house, where will we get the money to rebuild it?
Similarly, speaking with the leaders of Tuong Duong district, it was learned that the list of houses affected by landslides that had to be relocated is getting longer and longer. In addition to the 78 houses in the district that were affected by landslides and rocks, 36 households in Tam Quang commune were also forced to evacuate due to the high risk of landslides and rocks entering their houses.
One of the two households whose houses were solidly built but still had their walls destroyed by landslides from the mountains was Mr. Lo Van Mao in Xieng Huong village, Xa Luong commune. Mr. Mao said sadly: In this village, my house was the worst affected. Looking at the house makes me feel so sorry, what will we have to live on?
According to Ms. Kha Thi Hien, Chairwoman of Tam Quang Commune People's Committee, 36 households in Tan Huong and Tung Huong villages had to be evacuated. When the rain continued, the locality had to urgently propagate and mobilize people to evacuate to safe places. The houses of the evacuated households were basically still intact and could not be dismantled in time. However, evacuation is only a solution to ensure immediate safety.
Difficulty in settling down
Due to the steep terrain and many high mountains, whenever there is prolonged rain, people in many mountainous villages in Nghe An have to evacuate to protect their lives, and also to salvage some of their accumulated assets. Whenever there are storms or floods, local authorities in Nghe An have proactively stepped up propaganda and encouraged people to take precautions.
First of all, the locality checked and surveyed the landslide-prone areas to come up with a plan to evacuate people. During the rainy and flood days caused by storms No. 3 and No. 4, the plan to evacuate people in landslide-prone and flash flood-prone areas was seriously and resolutely implemented. Therefore, the loss of life and property was significantly reduced. Inquiring with the localities, the "4 on-site" plan when isolated was "winded up".
The rain lasted for many days, from the circulation of storm number 3 to the circulation of storm number 4. The mountains soaked with water began to crack, showing signs of collapsing, threatening the residents below. The solution of evacuation is only a temporary solution when floods force evacuation due to landslides and the risk of landslides. The worrying thing is how hundreds of households in these mountainous districts of Nghe An will face their upcoming lives. Because their homes are threatened, insecurity is always lurking.
Chairman of the People's Committee of Ky Son district - Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung said: Every year, the district has to evacuate dozens of households to safe temporary shelters, because of the fear of flash floods and landslides. A locality with a slope of more than 98%, whenever it rains, there will be landslides; so where can we get land for resettlement, even if it is mixed? In addition to the worry about livelihoods and poverty reduction for the people, the worry about finding new housing after landslides during the rainy and stormy season is equally challenging.
Lack of land and funding are major difficulties in the journey to stabilize the lives of mountainous people in general and people in mountainous districts of Nghe An in particular.
Dong Tam – Heartbreaking images after flash floods
Source: https://baodantoc.vn/nhung-cuoc-di-cu-bat-dac-di-vi-sat-lo-dat-1727075775105.htm
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