Anxious presence along the Trung River

- Due to the impact of storms, changes in river flow, and accumulated erosion over many years, the land along the Trung River bank in An Ninh village, Huu Lung commune, is experiencing serious erosion, directly affecting the property and livelihoods of dozens of households living along the riverbank.

Residents of An Ninh village, Huu Lung commune, showed reporters from Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television the section of the riverbank erosion along the Trung River passing through their village.

These days, walking along the river in An Ninh village, it's not difficult to spot sections of land collapsing and cracking, with many places along the riverbank only a few meters from people's houses. After each heavy rain, the swirling water erodes the base of the bank even deeper, dragging chunks of riverside soil down into the water. For the people here, storms are not only a worry about flooding but also a haunting fear of losing land, having their houses cracked, and even losing their lives.

"Previously, the riverbank was quite far from people's houses, but over the years of rain and storms, the land has gradually eroded, and now some sections have reached right behind the houses. Along Bac Son road, in An Ninh village, some households have had their houses collapse, and many others have had water flooding into their homes, with foundations sinking and floors cracking."

Ms. Nguyen Hong Vui, Head of Residential Group No. 2,
An Ninh village, Huu Lung commune

At Do Hau Grocery Store, located at 46 Bac Son Street, An Ninh Village, numerous long cracks have appeared in the back floor. Nearly 10 square meters of the floor have subsided, the tiles are peeling off, and in many places the floor is significantly lower than the original level. More worryingly, the subsided area is right behind the house, where the family and store employees regularly live and pack goods.

Ms. Do Thi Hien, the head of the household, said: "Whenever it rains heavily, especially at night, almost no one in the family can sleep peacefully. Hearing the rain and the strong current of the river makes us jump, afraid that the land behind our house will continue to slide down. The foundation of our house is already cracked and sinking, so we always have to pay attention to every sound. We're just afraid that if a landslide happens unexpectedly, we won't have time to react. Our greatest hope is that the riverbank will be reinforced soon to limit landslides and ensure the safety of the households living along the river."

Not far away is the house of Ms. Phan Thi Tuat, which is currently being rebuilt. Previously, she lived in a small, single-story house near the riverbank. After Typhoon No. 11 in 2025, heavy rains and rising water caused further erosion of the riverbank, severely affecting her house, which eventually collapsed. Ms. Tuat stayed with her son while waiting for her house to be rebuilt on the old foundation. Ms. Tuat shared: "My house collapsed, so I had to stay with my son for a while. Now that I'm rebuilding, I'm still very worried because the riverbank is still behind it. If it's not reinforced, I'll be constantly anxious when storms come again. At my age, I just want a safe place to live, not to live in constant fear every rainy season."

According to statistics, after Typhoon No. 11 in 2025, many households in An Ninh village were flooded, especially those living along the riverbank. When the water receded, many areas along the Trung River began to show signs of subsidence and landslides, with some areas collapsing right up to the foundations of houses. Currently, more than 40 households in the village living along the riverbank are directly affected by landslides.

Ms. Nguyen Hong Vui, Head of Residential Group No. 2, An Ninh Hamlet, Huu Lung Commune, said: "Previously, the riverbank was quite far from people's houses, but over the years of rain and storms, the land has gradually eroded, and now some sections have reached right behind the houses. Along Bac Son Road in An Ninh Hamlet, some households have had their houses collapse, and many others have had water flooding into their homes, with foundations sinking and floors cracking."

In response to this situation, local authorities have gathered and considered the opinions and suggestions of the people and are continuing to study solutions to address the problem. According to the commune authorities, building a system of riverbank protection embankments is a necessary and long-term solution to limit the continued complexity of erosion, protect property, and ensure the safety of the people. However, implementing the project requires significant funding, while budgetary resources are limited.

Mr. Vu Hoang, Deputy Head of the Economic Department of Huu Lung Commune, informed: "We have grasped the situation and reported to higher authorities about the erosion along the banks of the Trung River section passing through the center of Huu Lung Commune. Previously, the former Huu Lung District People's Committee proposed implementing a project to build an embankment along the Trung River section in this area, with a length of approximately 2 km. After transitioning to a two-tiered local government model, the Commune People's Committee continues to gather opinions from the people, consider, research, and propose to higher authorities to allocate funds for the implementation of the Trung River embankment project along the center of Huu Lung Commune."

With the rainy season approaching, the worry of landslides is ever-present for dozens of households along the Trung River. For them, each heavy rain is not only a concern about flooding their homes and damaging their property, but also an unease that the soil beneath their foundations could continue to erode and subside at any time. What the residents hope for is a fundamental, long-term solution to "protect their land and homes," making life along the Trung River more stable and safer.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/bai-ngoai-dang-ky-thap-thom-ven-bo-song-trung-5092611.html