The Red River is no longer as beautiful as in poetry…

Nearly 500 days following the Red River

The Red River, with a length of 556 km flowing through Vietnam, is a source of irrigation for agriculture in the vast Northern Delta region, playing an important role in hydropower, environment and waterway transport. However, in recent years, the Red River has increasingly changed with unusual signs in a negative direction, but this has not received due attention from ministries, branches and localities where the Red River flows.

After realizing that the unusual changes of the Red River were a very big problem, of a serious nature, affecting national security, editor Anh Tuan and cameraman Sy Thanh planned and implemented information collection, penetrating the reality for a long time, nearly 500 days of filming in many localities in the North where the Red River flows through to collect evidence of the "pain" that the Mother River is suffering from direct human impacts.

Editor Anh Tuan shared that during his work, the most noticeable sign was the phenomenon of dumping waste and waste to encroach and fill the Red River in some riverside areas, especially in the inner city, which is happening complicatedly with many sophisticated tricks and methods, causing some riverbeds to be encroached upon and significantly narrowed.

The problem of waste dumping encroaching on the Red River has been happening for a long time, however, this problem has not been properly warned. Behind each waste dumping trip is a complicated story with a whole group of people carrying out this behavior, they are not ordinary people, they are social subjects, with protection. To record these images is not easy because this only happens at certain times, not regularly, the location is in a remote area, surrounded by a tight corrugated iron fence, the subjects keep many fierce dogs, and accessing the scene is extremely difficult.

Sand mining is considered the main cause of the Red River bed deforming and sinking over time.

“We had to closely monitor and spend a lot of time undercover. Cameraman Sy Thanh used many professional measures, was not afraid of danger, overcame many difficulties, took on the role and followed the waste truck to record the most realistic images of illegal dumping encroaching on the Red River,” journalist Anh Tuan recounted.

In addition, illegal construction of factories encroaching on the Red River bank, violating the law on dikes, is increasing in scale, nature and level of violation. Although there are no complete statistics on the area of land filled, in recent times, illegal dumping has occurred in many areas and wards such as Nhat Tan, Tu Lien, Yen Phu, Ngoc Thuy... causing many locations and canals of the Red River to be encroached upon by dumping. Wherever the river bank is filled... illegally built factories move closer to it.

“We don’t understand how these violators have been able to exist and operate continuously for many years on that strip of land. We pretended to be tenants and discovered the “huge” profits of the factory owners here,” said journalist Anh Tuan.

Mother River Becomes Ferocious

On the riverbanks, they are encroached upon. And under the riverbed - sand, a mineral that is increasingly expensive in the "thirst" for construction materials. Therefore, sand mining activities are always complicated. This is considered the main reason why the Red River bed is deformed and lowered over time. In the Red River bed flowing through Vinh Lai commune, Lam Thao district, Phu Tho province, only one stretch of the river, there are currently 3 businesses licensed to exploit sand. For every 1 suction ship, there are 3-4 ships waiting to pick up the goods. When one ship leaves, another immediately pulls in. The whole stretch of the river is no different from a large construction site.

Editor Anh Tuan lamented: “When the Red River bed is deformed, leading to a change in flow, this is the clearest proof. With such a terrible rate of erosion, hundreds of households living inside are living in fear day and night.”

Editor Anh Tuan.

As much land erodes into the river, the riverbed moves closer to people's houses. The "invasion" of the Red River's flow suddenly puts people's houses and land at risk of being swept away. In many areas, the nearest house is only 25m away from the landslide. And in reality, it is no longer a risk. In Phung Nguyen commune, Lam Thao district, the Red River bank eroded in an instant, pushing many households into tragedy, when they were forced to become homeless. That is the family of Mr. Van, with 5 members, who only have a piece of land to put their stakes in. Now that the house is gradually eroding into the river, Mr. Van has to build a temporary tent to live through the day. That is the family of Mrs. Nguyen Thuy Lieu, Bong Lang area, Phung Nguyen commune, Lam Thao district, Phu Tho province, when they spent their whole life building a house, they lost their house at the end of their life. There is no greater pain!

“People here never thought that one day they would lose their homes so quickly. The change in the flow of the Red River has directly threatened people’s lives, not just the danger warnings on the signs anymore,” said journalist Anh Tuan, moved.

“Ten thousand streams are clear, each one is different/The water is like vermillion, calling the Red River/Along the fine sand banks, the color is bright red/The river banks are also the same color” (Poem by Nguyen Quang Bich). Obviously, “Hong Giang” in poetry is very beautiful, poetic and fresh with the image of vermillion water, along the red sand banks, the banks are also the same, the fertile alluvium. But now, the Red River is becoming angry and aggressive due to negative impacts of humans.

“The pain of the mother river” is truly a warning bell for authorities and management agencies, ministries and localities to assess, recognize and pay more attention to the Red River issue in a more appropriate and close manner.

Hoang Anh

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/song-hong-da-khong-con-dep-nhu-trong-tho-ca-post299600.html