Houses collapsed into the O Mon River as a result of bank erosion in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho (Photo: VNA) Ca Mau (VNS/VNA) - The People’s Committee of the southernmost province of Ca Mau has asked the Government to provide 300 billion VND (13.2 million USD) to move locals from landslide-prone areas to new residential areas.
The funds will be used to speed up construction of new residential areas for households living in erosion-prone areas along the river in Hang Vinh commune and Nam Can district.
Under the plan, some 356 out of 1,200 households will be urgently relocated to new areas.
To Hoai Phuong, Chairman of the Nam Can District People’s Committee, said that heavy rains had caused many landslides in the region.
He said that the authorities must closely monitor weather conditions and issue warnings about landslide-prone areas so that residents can move to a safe area.
Coastal districts in the province usually suffer the worst impact of climate change. Nam Can, Ngoc Hien and Dam Doi districts, in particular, were hit by landslides at different levels, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Since the beginning of last year, 540m of land have eroded and 43m of riverbank have collapsed, affecting over 320ha of aquaculture, property and residents’ lives.
Provincial authorities do not have specific statistics on the extent of damage caused by the disaster.
Last year, Ca Mau province proposed providing aid of 120 billion VND (5.28 million USD) to relocate 500 households at Vam Xoay and Rach Goc seagate in Ngoc Hien district.
By 2025, the province will need 1.2 trillion (52.8 million USD) to evacuate nearly 5,700 households from landslide-prone areas to a safe place.
The same situation is occurring in Dong Thap province. More than 5,900 households living in landslide-prone areas should be relocated, according to the provincial People’s Committee.
At least 900 out of more than 5,900 households need to relocate immediately, but many will have to live in the tents or in their relatives’ houses because of the lack of residential housing.
Meanwhile, about 1,540 households living in areas with a high risk of landslides need to relocate soon.
The province has asked the Government to provide about 660 billion VND (29 million USD) to move locals from landslide-prone areas to safe places as well as build new residential areas.
Since the beginning of this year, nine landslides have damaged 163km of land along Tien River’s bank in the province, and caused losses of over 172 million VND (7,530 USD).
Thanh Binh district, Hong Ngu town and Cao Lanh city have been the most affected by erosion.
The province plans to deal with eroded areas along Tien River’s bank in Thanh Binh district’s Binh Thanh commune and Chau Thanh district’s An Hiep commune.
This will include building an embankment between Thanh Binh district’s Binh Thanh commune and Cao Lanh district’s Phong My commune, and implementing the second phase of the project on extending a 460m section of embankment in Hong Ngu district’s Thuong Thoi Tien commune.
The province has asked the people’s committees of these districts to install warning signs and raise awareness about erosion prevention among local residents.
Between 2005 and 2017, the province recorded 25 eroded sites along the Tien River, covering an area of 305ha, according to a report from the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
The province provided 350 billion VND (15.3 million USD) in funds to move locals from landslide areas to new residential areas.-VNS/VNA
VNA
