Thousands of people to be moved from landslide area

HA NOI – Nearly 1,500 households are in danger of landslides and need to be moved from the sides of the Tien River, says the southern Dong Thap Province Flood and Storm Steering Committee.

The committee asked the State to grant VND37 billion (US$1.8 million) to help the residents resettle as soon as possible.

The committee reported that flood encroachment and riverside erosion had occurred in 10 districts and cities of the province and was expected to worsen in September and October when rainfall peaked.

Statistics showed 50ha of land and many houses had already been inundated by floods or slipped into the river since last year, causing damage worth VNDD3 billion ($3.5 million).

One of the latest cases occurred in An Hiep Commune, where 3.4ha of land including four large ponds of fish and gardens worth more than VND2.6 billion ($125,000) were lost. No deaths or injuries were reported but six households had moved away while five remained.

Deputy director of Dong Thap Agriculture and Rural Development Dang Ngoc Loi said local authorities had zoned flood-prone areas and asked people to move but it was not easy for residents who earned money from the area around the river.

Phan Thi Lien, a Tan Binh Commune resident, said slips and erosion had occurred in front of her house.

"Local authorities have asked us to move but we want to live here because it's comfortable for us to do farming," he said.

Chairman of Tan Binh Commune People's Committee Nguyen Van Phuong said new settlement areas had been arranged for people far from their production and cultivation areas and if necessary local authorities would evict them. – VNS