Erosion on the Tiền River in Tân Qưới Commune in Đồng Tháp Province’s Thanh Bình District. – VNA/VNS Photo Nhựt An

ĐỒNG THÁP – The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Đồng Tháp is facing increasing erosion along rivers and canals, affecting agricultural production and the lives of locals.

The province is in the rainy season and facing flooding caused by the rising level of the Mekong River, and this makes erosion become more severe.

In Thanh Bình District, the Tiền River, a tributary of the Mekong River, has been eroded along a section 30 metres long and 22 metres wide, damaging two houses in Tân Quới Commune’s Thượng Hamlet.

The hamlet’s local authorities have urgently relocated 17 households from the eroded area to safety.

According to Nguyễn Văn Minh, deputy chairman of the Tân Quới People’s Committee, the commune has more than 9km of erosion-prone river banks, threatening the safety of 315 households.

The houses of those households are located between 7-60 metres away from river bank.

Thượng Hamlet has 43 households living in erosion-prone areas.

The commune has had four erosion cases of a total length of 70 metres since the end of June. Rains in combination with the increasing level of flooding have weakened the soil.

The commune’s local authorities have installed warning billboards and are strictly monitoring the erosion.

Many households in the commune’s erosion-prone places are expected to be assisted to relocate to a safe area soon.

Trần Văn Lum in Tân Qưới Commune’s Tân Thới Hamlet said about 1,200 sq.m of his land had eroded into the Tiền River in the past 10 years.

He expected local authorities to help his family to relocate to a safe area.

Erosion has occurred on a total length of 26.7km along the banks of the Tiền and Hậu rivers, two tributaries of the Mekong River, in the province’s 19 communes, wards and towns so far this year, according to the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

It has caused 1.98ha of land erosion.

It has also occurred in other rivers and canals.

The province People’s Committee has asked relevant departments and localities to strengthen their efforts of coping with erosion.

Phạm Thiện Nghĩa, chairman of the province People’s Committee, has ordered localities to regularly inspect erosion-prone and eroded places.

Relevant agencies should install warning billboards at dangerously eroded and erosion-prone places in residential and important infrastructure areas, he said. – VNS