The crack created a slope difference at Tung village.
Every rainy season, the family of the Party Secretary of Tung Trang village, A Pao, along with many other households here, begin the work that has become a habit for many years. Rice is stacked on the upper floor, clothes and belongings are carefully packed, and livestock are moved to higher ground.
That concern stems from the historic flood that occurred in September 2018. In the dead of night, rocks and soil from the mountains suddenly cascaded down, leaving many households with no time to react.
Mr. Pao still hasn't forgotten that terrifying moment: "Around midnight, while everyone was asleep, we heard the sound of rocks and earth crashing down from the mountain. Some people managed to escape, but their houses and belongings were swept away by the flood."
Eight years have passed, but the traces of that flood are still visible. On the hillside behind the village is a landslide about 150 meters long, extending deep into the ground. Many areas have subsided, creating slopes with a difference of nearly 3 meters. Below this area live 63 households with over 300 people. Every time it rains, the villagers anxiously look towards the hill behind their homes. No one can be sure what will happen if the soil and rocks continue to shift.
"The crack is getting bigger and bigger. Many households below don't dare stay in their homes and have to go up to the fields and build temporary shelters to avoid the danger," Mr. Pao said.
Not only do the people of Tung village live in constant fear of landslides, but their lives are also affected by prolonged waiting periods. For many years, the entire village has been included in the resettlement plan, so investment in construction has almost come to a standstill. Mr. Trang Khai Dung's wooden house is one of many dilapidated houses. However, repairs are not allowed because it is located in the area awaiting resettlement.
"We just hope the government will soon build a resettlement area so that people can have stable housing. Our houses are in very poor condition now, and many are almost uninhabitable," Mr. Dung said.
Many houses are located at the foot of the mountain, facing the risk of landslides.
According to local statistics, more than half of the households in Tung village are currently living in dilapidated houses, some have even moved elsewhere, and some have locked their doors and moved to the fields. Meanwhile, many essential infrastructure projects cannot be invested in comprehensively because the village is located within a resettlement planning area.
Difficulties are piling up; the village of Tung still lacks access to the national power grid, transportation is difficult, and phone signals are unreliable. Currently, residents have to rely on small-scale power sources such as solar energy or homemade turbines. Many poor households still live by the light of lamps.
The prolonged wait-and-see attitude discourages people from investing in economic development, while children suffer many disadvantages in terms of learning and living conditions.
Mr. Tran Van Thang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Trung Ly commune, said that this is a particularly difficult mountainous area, constantly facing the risk of flash floods, landslides, and mudslides. Besides Tung village, the commune also has Ma Hac village, which was approved for resettlement many years ago but has yet to be implemented.
One family locked their door before going to stay in their field.
According to Decision No. 1541/QD-UBND of 2019 by the Provincial People's Committee, households living in areas at high risk of landslides, flash floods, and mudslides in Trung Ly and Muong Ly communes are subject to relocation and resettlement. Many of these households are in need of urgent relocation. However, to date, a significant number of residents are still living in these dangerous areas.
Regarding this issue, Mr. Lau Van Ngoc, a technical officer in the Muong Lat Project Management Office, Provincial Public Investment Project Management Board for Transportation Infrastructure, stated: "According to Project 4845 for the 2021-2025 period, the former Muong Lat area has 8 resettlement projects. During the investment process and site search, the terrain was steep and rocky, while funding was limited, making implementation impossible. For the 2026-2030 period, when the mechanism is more open, especially with an increased total investment, the unit is currently carrying out the preparatory steps for investment in the Tung and Ma Hac villages."
Dinh Giang
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/noi-lo-o-ban-tung-292600.htm
