Flood-proof homes big hit in Phu Yen

A flood-proof house take pride of place in An Dinh Commune, Tuy An District, in central Phu Yen Province. The province supported 100 poor households living along the Ky Lo River in the district. — VNA/VNS Photo The Lap

PHU YEN (VNS)— A pilot project to build 100 flood-proof residential complexes for the poor has proved to be effective in the central province of Phu Yen.

Phu Yen is one of seven provinces in the coastal central region to have been selected for the pilot model, with complexes now under construction following a 2012 Government directive.

Each complex includes two floors, with the second floor covering an area of no less than 10 square metres. This floor is designated for storing people's essential property during flooding.

Financial support for the project has come from the Government, local authorities and residents who have been able to borrow money with low interest from the Viet Nam Bank for Social Policies.

Vo Thi Bach Tuyet, 70, from Phu Yen's An Dinh Commune said, "Thanks to financial aid, I now own a block in the residential complex."

Another resident, 88 year-old Nguyen Thi Que, said: "Previously our family had to stay with relatives during flood attacks. Now we can stay safely where we are."

The vice chairman of the provincial People's Committee, Tran Quang Nhat, said that the initiative had received an overwhelmingly positive response from local people.

"It is really thought to be an effective and positive policy," he claimed.

Phan Van Bay, head of An Dinh ‘s Dinh Trung village, said that in the past it was difficult for people to evacuate before floods hit.

"That is no longer a problem," he proclaimed.

A huge flood in 2009 inundated all 126 local houses in the village at depths of up to three metres, he said.

The province has planned to replicate the model in other areas, as there are more than 17,000 local households in flood-prone areas. — VNS