Concerns about river and mountain erosion.

Many households in Zone 5, Hoi Xuan town, are located in an area at risk of landslides before the rainy season.

In Ward 5, Hoi Xuan town, residents are still worried about the large cracks in the embankment of the mountain behind the residential area, caused by Typhoon No. 3 in 2024. The cracks extend nearly 100 meters, are about 30 centimeters wide, and are less than 10 meters from people's houses. Given this situation, Hoi Xuan town has conducted an assessment of the danger level and proposed adding households at risk of landslides to the resettlement plan.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, from Ward 5, shared: “During the 2024 storm, soil from the hillside slid down, damaging houses and outbuildings. My family had to borrow money and work with neighboring households to build an embankment to protect our house. With the embankment, my family feels somewhat safer as the rainy season approaches.” Observations show that this area has high mountains and steep slopes, and the landslide-prone areas have not been thoroughly addressed, leading to many potential safety risks for residents. The fact that some households have independently funded the construction of embankments is only a temporary solution.

Not only in Hoi Xuan town, but also in Co Me village, Trung Son commune, riverbank erosion is a concern for residents. According to local households, the erosion of the Ma River is threatening the lives of many families. Residents have had to spend their own money to build stone embankments to protect their land and property. Mr. Pham Hung Bien, a resident of Co Me village, said: “I received 10 million VND from the commune, and with the money my family has, I built a stone embankment to protect my land. I hope the government will soon have a long-term plan or provide resettlement assistance for the people to move to a safe place so they can focus on production.”

Instead of building retaining walls to protect their land and staying put, many households in Co Me village have been forced to relocate or stay with relatives while waiting for support policies. Some households, even after receiving land from the government to build new houses, still hesitate to do so due to fears of landslides.

According to our findings, since the historic flood of 2018, the province has invested in a new resettlement area for households in Zone 2 of Co Me village. However, 30 households in Zone 1 are still living close to the Ma River, near the Trung Son hydropower plant, and are severely affected by changes in the river's flow leading to landslides. Currently, some landslide areas are less than 10 meters from people's houses. The local authorities have repeatedly proposed building an embankment along the Ma River section through Co Me village to protect the residential area, but so far, this plan remains only a proposal.

In summary, Quan Hoa district has 19 residential areas with 102 households living along rivers and streams, where there are no protective dikes and they are at high risk of flooding during major floods; 8 residential areas with 45 households in low-lying areas prone to flooding; 23 areas with 93 households located in areas at risk of flash floods; and 51 residential areas with 535 households that may be affected by landslides during prolonged heavy rains.

To respond to the 2025 rainy and stormy season, the district has developed appropriate evacuation plans for each specific situation. At the same time, local task forces are guiding residents to reinforce their houses, secure roofs, strengthen foundations, and erect temporary shelters or bamboo stakes to prevent landslides and protect property in unexpected situations.

Text and photos: Dinh Giang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/noi-lo-lo-song-lo-nui-253309.htm