Erosion on the bank of the Hậu River, An Giang Province, in June 2022. — VNA/VNS Photo Công Mạo

AN GIANG — Landslides in the Mekong Province of An Giang have been occurring more frequently in 2022 as heavy road traffic and heavy rains near the Hậu River soften riverbanks. 

In the first nine months of 2022, landslides along 1,505 metres of the Hậu River have appeared across An Phú, Tri Tôn, Châu Phú, Chợ Mới, Phú Tân, Tân Châu and Thoại Sơn districts.

On September 28 to 30, landslides in 10 sections of 288m in length appeared along the river banks and canals in An Phú, Chợ Mới and Tri Tôn districts. 

According to An Giang Province's Climate Change Response - Natural Disaster Prevention and Civil Defence Committee, the main reason for the landslides has been because of excess usage of roads and water vehicles next to and on the river. 

Prolonged rain due to Typhoon Noru making the soil soft and loose was another reason why landslides started to happen more often in September. 

Nguyễn Việt Trí, director of An Giang Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that whenever landslides happen, local authorities always have solutions to evacuate people to safety. 

The department also assesses the Hậu River regularly to calculate the probability of landslides to ensure the people's safety.

The department will also give out timely measures to prevent landslides along the river banks, Trí said.

Nguyễn Sĩ Lâm, director of An Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the department has been working on inspecting landslide areas to help people deal with the outcomes and help reinforce the land structure of where the slides happen. — VNS