Un sleeping people, houses and properties threatened
According to a report from the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Vinh Long province, since the beginning of the year, there have been 136 landslides, with a total estimated damage of more than 25 billion VND, many of which have not been completely repaired, causing people to worry.
In Phu Thanh hamlet, Long Ho commune, a landslide appeared since mid-2023 and has not been solidly repaired. Currently, the treatment is only temporary with sandbags and reed, not enough to ensure long-term safety.
Ms. Le Thi Ngoc Sang, who lives right next to the riverbank, said that at night she always lives in fear because she does not know when landslides will occur. Every time the tide rises, her family has to go to relatives' houses to temporarily live.
"Although the people here have repeatedly requested the authorities to take solid remedial measures, the progress is still slow, causing many households to continue to live in fear and worry about their homes and property," Ms. Sang added.
Not only Mr. Nguyen Van Hong's house and property such as his fish pond in Tan Long Hoi commune are also at risk of being lost. Mr. Hong was upset that despite the report, the repair project has not been completed, causing landslides to continue to threaten the fish pond.
"The market price of pangasius is one thing, but the worry about the situation of broken dykes and landslides that sweep all the fish away is another big deal. Cheap fish still have a source of income, but landslides can lose billion-dollar fish ponds, after this period, we dare not to release them for further raising because the repair is not yet complete," Mr. Hong added.
Overcoming landslides is still slow due to lack of capital
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. Le Quang Rang - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Vinh Long said that the relevant agencies are making efforts in the work of overcoming the landslide, but the handling of landslides still faces some difficulties in terms of mechanisms and construction conditions in riverside and coastal areas.
For example, the landslides on the Song Mang embankment are still under warranty. The construction unit is taking steps to overcome the problem with land purchased from other places, however, transportation is facing difficulties due to its location far from the landslide site.
In addition, the Cai Cao River area of Long Ho commune has been declared by the Provincial People's Committee to be in a state of emergency due to landslides according to Decision No. 1945/QD-UBND dated August 18, 2023, including many dangerous sections, directly affecting people.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment approved the project to reinforce the Cai Cao River bank with a total length of about 3,065 m and a total investment of more than 127 billion VND, but on February 27, the Ministry issued a document to stop this item, requesting the Provincial People's Committee to arrange a replacement capital source.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment has included it in the investment portfolio for the 2026-2030 medium-term period to propose the Provincial People's Committee to consider and propose to the central ministries and branches to arrange capital for implementation in the coming time.
"While waiting for capital, the Department of Agriculture and Environment requests the People's Committee of Long Ho commune to closely monitor the landslide developments and mobilize local resources to implement solutions to ensure safe production and people's lives according to the "4 on-site" motto, Mr. Rang added.
