Rising waters on the Bùi River leave many households isolated and struggling to travel. VNA/VNS Photo Hùng Mạnh

HÀ NỘI — The Bùi River has exceeded the level-three flood alert threshold in Trần Phú Commune, Hà Nội, with water levels recorded at 7.51 metres at Yên Duyệt Station at 1pm on September 17 – 0.51m above the alert level – following several days of heavy rainfall.

The People's Committee of Trần Phú Commune has activated a comprehensive set of disaster prevention, response and search-and-rescue plans, mobilising personnel, equipment and materials in accordance with the "four on-the-spot" principle to manage and limit damage caused by the flooding.

According to a report by the People's Committee, heavy rain, flooding and inundation have affected about 5,620 people across 847 households.

Rising floodwaters have affected about 2,540m of dykes and embankments through inundation and overtopping, and 900m of roads have been locally submerged. About 17.2ha of rice paddies, 4.6ha of vegetables, 30ha of fruit trees and three hectares of aquaculture areas have been affected. Functional forces have relocated 12,500 head of livestock and poultry to safe areas.

As observed by Vietnam News Agency reporters, in Khôn Duy hamlet, dozens of households have been affected by the Bùi River exceeding the level-three alert. More than 30 households in sub-hamlet one of Khôn Duy have been cut off.

Đinh Thị Việt, a resident of sub-hamlet one, Khôn Duy hamlet, said floodwaters this year were higher than in previous years, severely disrupting local life. Each time flooding occurs, people must urgently move their belongings, rice, livestock and poultry to avoid losses – a process she described as arduous and exhausting.

Residents have called on authorities at all levels to invest in and upgrade the road network in the area to help movement and ease hardship during flooding.

"Local authorities have also paid close attention to residents in flood-affected areas, taking steps to repair and reinforce dykes to protect the population. However, the water rose so quickly that a timely response was not possible, causing great difficulty for residents. We only hope that the State and local authorities will prioritise building a proper road so that people can travel more easily and face less hardship whenever the water rises," Việt said.

Lương Văn Nhất, born in 1971, also a resident of sub-hamlet one in Khôn Duy hamlet, said water levels this year were higher than last year, leaving many roads submerged to a depth of about one to 1.7m, making movement extremely difficult.

In previous years, lower water levels allowed residents to manage on their own without serious incidents. This year, the higher water levels have had a far greater impact. Many homes have been inundated, and sanitation and living conditions have become very difficult. Residents have had to use boats to get around, and many families have had to evacuate to upper floors or move to safer locations.

Nhất expressed hope that local authorities would continue to pay attention to upgrading the network of village and hamlet roads in Khôn Duy to limit flood damage and ensure safe passage and a decent standard of living for residents.

Rushing to move his belongings to higher ground, Đinh Văn Vĩnh, a resident of Đê sub-hamlet in Duy Khôn hamlet, said the rapidly rising water had left the area isolated and cut off. Residents were facing hardship due to the lack of electricity and clean water. Drawing on lessons from previous years, people had proactively elevated their valuables and stockpiled food and drinking water in preparation for the possibility of being cut off for several days.

In response, the People's Committee has directed the commune Civil Defence Command to maintain round-the-clock duty, keep permanent forces on standby, and require all sub-committees to implement the approved disaster response plans. To prepare for reinforcing vulnerable points, the commune has readied 450cu.m of black sand, 8,000 sandbags, 24cu.m of earth and 40sq.m of tarpaulin.

The commune Military Command, standing militia, mobile militia and local forces, along with 50 officials, civil servants and mass organisation members, as well as about 200 people from various hamlets, have been deployed to respond to the floodwaters.

In addition, Battalion 31 of the Air Defence and Air Force Service has mobilised 32 officers and soldiers along with one vehicle; four supply trucks have been deployed to support inspection, checkpoint duty and the handling of emerging situations.

Major Phan Duy Dương, Deputy Political Officer of Battalion 31, Brigade 28, Air Defence and Air Force Service, who was directly commanding officers and soldiers along the Bùi River dyke, said that from the early morning of September 17, officers and soldiers had urgently begun filling sandbags along a stretch of the Bùi dyke spanning more than two kilometres, with more than 3,000 sandbags deployed in total.

"The unit has essentially completed the workload, ensuring absolute safety for all personnel and equipment," Dương said.

In areas at high risk of deep inundation and fast-moving currents, forces have been deployed on round-the-clock checkpoint duty; warning signs have been erected, ropes stretched across and personnel stationed to guide and control the movement of people and vehicles at landslide-prone points and dyke sections at risk of overtopping, ensuring timely warnings and preventing residents and vehicles from entering dangerous areas.

According to Nguyễn Mạnh Hà, Vice Chairman of the Trần Phú Commune People's Committee, as soon as the flood situation became complex, the commune Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue proactively implemented response plans in line with the "four on-the-spot" principle.

The commune mobilised rapid-response teams across its hamlets – including Mỹ Lương hamlet, Khôn Duy hamlet and residential areas at risk of flooding due to rising Bùi River levels – to deal with overtopping points and reinforce dyke sections across the area.

Alongside on-the-spot response work, the commune has drawn up co-ordination plans with individual hamlets to proactively relocate residents and their property from areas at high risk of deep inundation should water levels continue to rise, with the aim of minimising losses and ensuring the immediate welfare of residents.

With the Bùi River continuing to hold at the level-three alert, Hà Nội's functional forces are pressing ahead with response efforts to ensure dyke safety and protect the lives of local residents. — VNS