These days, the lives of households in Lo Co Chin village are always immersed in anxiety and insecurity about the risk of being buried under a layer of rock and soil.
In particular, after prolonged rains, large cracks have appeared on the hillsides of the village.
Looking up on the mountainside, where the mud streams still follow the water, Mr. Cu Seo Gia sighed: "In the past few days, my whole family has not eaten well and not slept well. If it rains for a few more days, the whole block of rock and soil could collapse at any time.
According to this man, Lo Co Chin is a border village where 100% of Mong ethnic people have lived stably for many generations. This is the first time in history that such a large and dangerous crack has appeared on the mountainside behind the village.
According to local people, since this phenomenon occurred, people have always been in a state of insecurity. On rainy days, many families do not dare to stay at home, forced to move to schools or village cultural houses for shelter.
Therefore, a stable resettlement solution, or a long-term solution, is the most urgent wish of the people of Lo Co Chin village at this time.
The head of Trang Xu Pao village shared: "During the season, people go to work in the fields and fields, but they don't dare to go long because the houses are full of elderly people and children. I am always filled with fear, and if something happens, I won't be able to react."
According to the initial survey results, the crack was about 200m long, 30 - 50cm wide, 1.5 - 3m deep, with a difference in height between locations of about 30 - 50cm.
In particular, the cracks are still expanding, forming a landslide. It is estimated that the volume of rock and soil that could collapse could reach 10,000m3, directly threatening the lives, activities and crops of 19 households right at the foot of the mountain.
It is known that immediately after the discovery, the People's Committee of Pha Long commune urgently mobilized forces to support people in moving their assets and mobilizing people to temporarily evacuate to a safe place.
Along with that, the commune has put up warning signs, isolated cracked areas, and assigned people to be on duty 24/7. The commune government also stepped up propaganda, requiring people to absolutely not return home when the weather is still complicated, to ensure the safety of their lives.
Mr. Pham Tat Minh - Chairman of Pha Long Commune People's Committee said: "Currently, the commune has mobilized vehicles to handle the amount of mud and soil that have eroded near the homes of some households, but this is only a temporary solution. The worrying thing is that the cracks continue to grow, posing a potential risk of landslides at any time.
According to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Pha Long commune, the locality has reported to the People's Committee of Lao Cai province and requested specialized departments and branches to survey and assess the level of danger to have a long-term response plan.
Along with that, implementing the province's direction on researching and proposing projects to build concentrated resettlement areas or arrange interspersed resettlement, the commune has prepared a Proposal for investment policies for projects to arrange and relocate residents in areas at risk of natural disasters.
According to the leader of Pha Long commune, the resettlement land fund has been determined, and is only waiting for implementation funds. If the project is approved, households in the danger zone will soon be relocated to a safe place, stabilizing their lives for a long time, avoiding the daily worry of landslides.
