In the afternoon of September 11, Standing Vice Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tuan Thanh chaired a meeting with departments, branches and 135 communes and wards to review disaster prevention and control work, and proactively respond to the ongoing heavy rain.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, from September 10-17, the Central region may experience widespread heavy rain. Gia Lai is located in the forecast area with heavy rain, risk of floods, flash floods, landslides, flooding and localized fragmentation, especially in mountainous areas, low-lying areas and coastal areas.
Rainfall in some places is forecast to be over 150mm, locally very heavy rain may appear in a short time.
Previously, from July 2 to September, heavy rain caused flooding, landslides and affected production in some localities. More than 559ha of crops were flooded; 16 landslides occurred on traffic routes, riverbanks, embankments; some houses were flooded or damaged. No casualties.
Up to now, the water has receded, traffic has basically been restored, and people's lives have gradually stabilized.
Through inspection in 71 key communes and wards, disaster response preparation work at the grassroots level has been basically implemented. However, some plans are still general, and the activation time is not clearly determined according to rainfall, water level or wind level.
Rescue equipment is still lacking. The plan to ensure communication when power outages and prolonged signal outages occur also does not meet the requirements.
At the meeting, the province requested localities to focus at the highest level on responding to the heavy rain from September 10-17; maintain 24/24h duty, strengthen warnings in dangerous areas, control at underpasses, spillways, weak bridges, deeply flooded roads; prepare plans to evacuate people in areas at risk of flash floods, landslides, and deep flooding.
Localities are required to accelerate the harvest of rice and crops to maturity; proactively drain water, minimizing production damage.
Faced with the risk of heavy rain, flash floods, landslides and widespread flooding, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Thanh requested localities to consolidate local forces, complete disaster prevention and control plans, and absolutely not do things in a general way.
Each locality must identify in advance areas at risk of natural disasters; specifically identify areas likely to be affected, the number of households to be relocated, evacuation locations, interspersed organization points, routes, vehicles and support forces.
Disaster prevention and control must be prepared in advance, early, from afar, not waiting until natural disasters are about to occur to start deploying," Mr. Nguyen Tuan Thanh emphasized.
The Standing Vice Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee requested localities to arrange forces in areas at high risk of natural disasters, be ready to relocate people early, and prevent casualties.
