Many potential landslide risks in the north of Thai Nguyen

While the southern communes and wards suffered heavy damage due to flooding, the northern communes of Thai Nguyen are now at risk of landslides. After days of torrential rain, the hilly land has been saturated with water and is poorly connected, while it is forecasted that there may be more rain in the coming days.

A serious landslide on the embankment on National Highway 3, passing through Thanh Thinh commune. (Photo: TUAN SON)

Due to the impact of prolonged heavy rain, from October 7 until now, landslides have occurred in many places in the northern communes of Thai Nguyen .

On October 9, in Bang Thanh commune, 13 households were affected by landslides on the positive slope in Na Nghe, Dong Leo, Na Lang villages... The rural traffic system in the commune was eroded in many locations, causing local congestion.

Bang Thanh commune had to mobilize local forces to support people in moving their property to a safe place.

Also on October 9, at Km31+980 on Provincial Road 258, passing through Na Mo village, Cho Ra commune, a landslide occurred. The landslide caused by soil and rocks threatened the safety of three households living nearby.

Faced with that situation, the People's Committee of Cho Ra commune directed and mobilized support to urgently evacuate 3 households from the dangerous area, and at the same time, coordinated with the management unit to temporarily clear the road.

At Dia Linh Primary and Secondary School, Cho Ra Commune, due to weak geological foundation, landslides have occurred in some locations within the school grounds, posing a safety risk.

The two-story administrative building, built in 2021, has developed many cracks and is unsafe, forcing it to close in 2023. Other classrooms, built long ago, have seriously deteriorated. The risk of landslides has made teachers and more than 400 students, who are ethnic minority children, uneasy and worried.

Not only threatening residential areas, landslides also affect and threaten traffic infrastructure. Especially when in the northern communes there are currently about 1,000 locations at high risk of landslides on the roads.

Leaders of Thai Nguyen Department of Construction inspect a landslide site on National Highway 279, passing through Hiep Luc commune. (Photo: TUAN SON)

On National Highway 279, at Km275+600, the roadbed has sunk more than a meter deep, extending for dozens of meters. On National Highway 3, through Thanh Thinh commune, the newly completed embankment of the Cau River has sunk into the river, dragging part of the roadbed with it, causing subsidence and risking a road break.

According to information from the Traffic Construction Maintenance and Consulting Management Board of Thai Nguyen province, as of the afternoon of October 10, there are about 418 landslides, damaged roadbeds, road surfaces and overflows on traffic routes across the province, mainly in the northern communes.

According to information from the Thai Nguyen Province Hydrometeorological Station, since October 9, there has been no more rain, however, soil moisture models show that some areas are nearly saturated (more than 80%) or have reached a near-saturated state.

In the coming time, there is a risk of landslides and land subsidence on slopes, positive slopes, residential areas, traffic routes, riverbank landslides, and areas with construction works under construction. The warning level of natural disaster risk due to landslides and land subsidence due to rain, floods or water flow is at level 1.

Responding to the risk of landslides, the Department of Construction has focused on directing units to fix the collapsed locations, ensuring smooth traffic. Road maintenance units have arranged staff and equipment to be on duty 24/7; focusing on leveling rocks and soil, clearing sewers, and temporarily handling subsidence points.

Directly inspecting Dia Linh Primary and Secondary School, Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Secretary Trinh Xuan Truong directed the People's Committee of Cho Ra commune to urgently develop a plan and propose a location to relocate the school to a new location to ensure safety.

The Secretary of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee also assigned the Department of Education and Training to coordinate with the Department of Construction to immediately review all educational facilities in the northern communes located in areas with weak geological foundations and high risk of insecurity to promptly advise the province on remedial solutions.

On October 10, Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee established many working groups to inspect and review the work of overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and to inspect and assess the risk of landslides and rockslides.

Along with the work of overcoming the consequences of flooding in the southern communes and wards, Thai Nguyen province is proactively and actively reviewing and directing response to the risk of landslides in the northern communes.

The province requires the authorities of communes, wards and people not to be subjective and to be extremely vigilant against this risk, especially when it is forecasted that there may continue to be rain in the coming days.

TUAN SON

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tiem-an-nhieu-nguy-co-sat-lo-o-phia-bac-thai-nguyen-post914624.html