Quang Ngai: High tides cause erosion on An Hai beach

Seawater intrusion and coastal landslides in An Hai village, Dong Son commune, Quang Ngai province are becoming increasingly serious, directly threatening people's lives.

Consecutive storms and high tides have caused the coastline of An Hai village, Dong Son commune, to be eroded for more than 400 meters, encroaching on the houses of 20 households, and sweeping away people's property.

The risk of landslides is still latent, affecting about 10 more households along the beach.

Strong tidal erosion caused many embankments built by local people to collapse completely. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

The embankments made of bamboo and stone poles and some sections of concrete embankments were also destroyed by the waves. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Mr. Duong Van Xuan (An Hai village, Dong Son commune) said: "I am 76 years old this year, I have never in my life seen such big waves and serious erosion as this year."

Previously, to protect the land, Mr. Xuan built two embankments himself, a solid main embankment made of concrete worth more than 100 million VND and a secondary embankment made of bamboo and stone gabions placed more than 1 meter away from the main embankment to reduce wave force. However, during the recent storm, big waves completely destroyed the secondary embankment, washing away both bamboo and stone poles.

Mr. Xuan also said that a nearby neighbor had just built a main stone embankment worth more than 100 million VND, but had not yet built a secondary embankment outside. Therefore, the high waves had destroyed the entire embankment.

"Now, every high tide the waves crash straight into the house walls," said Mr. Xuan.

Waves hit the foot of the embankment built by locals. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

This embankment wall has completely collapsed. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

More than 100 million VND worth of embankment construction was broken by waves. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

The scene was left with only a mess of rocks and bricks. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Similar to Mr. Xuan, many households have tried to spend effort and money to buy bamboo poles, bags, and stones to build embankments to block the land to protect property, constructions, and houses inside the embankment. However, because of manual work, every year some embankments are washed away by seawater.

Ms. Le Thi Thu Nguyet (An Hai village) said that the recent surge of sea waves washed away the entire embankment that her family had built themselves. Strong waves crashed into her garden, damaging it and reaching her front yard.

"Seawater is still rushing deep into residential areas, flooding houses and roads, forcing some households to move to other places to live," said Ms. Nguyet.

According to Ms. Nguyet, during storms, she had to take shelter in a neighbor’s house on a higher floor to ensure safety. She hopes the government will soon invest in building a solid embankment to protect the residential area.

People have built their own dikes to limit the waves. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Embankments are built layer by layer to retain soil. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

Along the 400m long beach, people have built their own embankments. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

But the waves still broke each concrete block. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

During the rainy and stormy season, the People's Committee of Dong Son commune regularly sends forces ready to evacuate people to safe places when an emergency occurs, so as not to affect people's lives.

Along the beach, houses are in disarray after the storm in November. Photo: Dong Son Commune People's Committee

Mr. Phan Dinh Chi, Chairman of Dong Son Commune People's Committee, said: "Faced with the situation of high tides eroding and encroaching deep into residential areas, Dong Son Commune People's Committee has proposed the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments and branches to soon invest in a coastal embankment to prevent landslides in An Hai village, about 420m long, with an estimated cost of 20 billion VND, thereby contributing to protecting housing safety, stabilizing people's lives and production."

NGUYEN TRANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/quang-ngai-trieu-cuong-xam-thuc-gay-sat-lo-bo-bien-an-hai-post827019.html