An Giang (VNA) – Fourteen houses and two house floors in My Hoi Dong Commune, Cho Moi district, the Mekong Delta province of An Giang fell into the Hau River due to riverbank erosion on April 22.
A road connecting My Hoi Dong commune and Nhon My commune was also damaged and isolated. The 70-metre long eroded section caused estimated total damages of 8.8 billion VND (391,000 USD). There have been no deaths.
The provincial People’s Council issued a state of emergency in the affected area along the river.
Truong Trung Lap, Chairman of Cho Moi district People’s Committee said that local forces have been mobilised round the clock to ensure traffic order and evacuate residents and their property out of the dangerous area.
The A My Hoi Dong primary school announced it would close on April 24 -25. An alternative road to replace the damaged road is set to be built. The district will also provide land for the affected households to resettle down in a new residential area, Lap said.
According to Lam Quang Thi, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, local authorities allocated nearly 3 billion VND (133,300 USD) to the households whose houses were damages or at risk from riverbank erosion.
Forty million VND (1,760 USD) was provided for each of the 16 households whose houses have been washed away, and 42 others that are highly vulnerable to land erosion were evacuated.
The provincial Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the provincial chapter of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour also provided 78 million VND (3,400 USD), and mobilised financial and gift assistance worth 180 million VND (7,900 USD) for the affected 16 households. The Cho Moi district Red Cross Chapter gave 30 kg of rice and one water container to each of the vulnerable households
Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Vo Thi Anh Xuan urged the provincial People’s Committee and Cho Moi district to relocate residents from risky area.
The district People’s Committee will devises measures to ensure school continuity for local students. Chapters of the Vietnam Fatherland Front at all levels will work with local authorities to support affected people.
For the long term, the provincial People’s Committee and Construction Department are in charge of helping the affected people find new accommodation.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for selecting consultants to propose measures to address the erosion.
According to the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, about 260m of river bank is at high risk of erosion.
The department proposed dismantling houses constructed on the river bank to reduce weight on the land. – VNA
VNA