Over the past two days, people living along the Lo River dike in Hop Nhat Commune, Doan Hung District (Phu Tho) have been focusing on reinforcing many vulnerable locations that are at risk of overflowing or breaking when the water level rises. This is crucial to the safety of their homes and hundreds of hectares of rice and crops.
Mr. Ngo Vi Hien, a resident of Ho Xanh village (Hop Nhat commune) said that it had been more than 20 years since the water level of the Lo River had risen so high. People took turns building dams and reinforcing many dyke positions to prevent water from flowing deep into the fields.
"We have experienced major floods on the Lo River before, but this year the water level has risen and the destruction is terrible. Together with the government, people have proactively transported soil and rocks to reinforce risky locations to ensure the safety of property and lives," said Mr. Hien.
In Hop Nhat commune, the Lo River dike breach through Quyet Thang commune (Son Duong, Tuyen Quang) affected nearly 100 households and dozens of hectares of crops of people in the neighboring area.
The entire Hop Nhat commune has 13 km of river, most of the land area is attached to the dike. Immediately after the dike breach, Hop Nhat commune mobilized human and material resources to build embankments and add more river water barriers. About 200m of embankment has been reinforced right after the dike breach area.
Mr. Nguyen Van Trung - Chairman of Hop Nhat Commune People's Committee said that currently, 6 villages have recorded flooding. If the Lo River continues to rise about 2m more, there is a risk of overflow and dike breakage. The 4 on-site prevention plan is still strictly implemented.
"The most worrying thing right now is that there are about 14 weak points along the Lo River, most of which are culverts across the dike. Although these areas have been reinforced, it is forecasted that the flood discharge and continued water rise will pose a hidden risk of natural disasters," Mr. Chung informed.
Up to now, the broken dike of Lo River in Quyet Thang commune has not been repaired yet. This is waiting for the water to recede and for survey, assessment and instructions from the authorities.
While waiting for repairs, the dike road connecting Hop Nhat and Quyet Thang communes remains cut off, and the commune authorities can only block traffic and warn the people. If the water level of the Lo River continues to rise, flooding in areas within the dike will continue.
On September 11, speaking with reporters, Mr. Au Van Luan - Chairman of Quyet Thang Commune People's Committee said that almost all of the commune's forces had been mobilized to respond to the dike breach. Currently, forces are still maintained at the scene to monitor and update the situation.
"The repair of the broken dike location has exceeded the commune's authority, we are focusing on protecting the scene. Some other key locations are also being actively reviewed and closely monitored to respond to the situation where the Lo River water level continues to rise," said Mr. Luan.
