TUY HÒA – The south-central province of Phú Yên has declared a state of emergency due to severe erosion in the estuary of the Đà Nông River.

The decision was announced by provincial People’s Committee Chairman Hoàng Văn Trà on Saturday after the entire elevated part of the 237m levee in the north of Đà Nông River’s estuary collapsed, due to which water flowed onto the land at high speed. At some places, water flowed 100m inwards. The levee foundation was levelled to nearly as low as the riverbed due to erosion.

Another 100m levee which protects the Phú Lạc residential area in Hòa Hiệp Nam Commune was also severely eroded, causing two houses to collapse and threatening tens of other households.

Võ Ngọc Hòa, chairman of Đông Hòa District’s People’s Committee, said the district’s authorities had instructed Hoà Hiệp Nam Commune and the Hòa Hiệp Nam Border Guard Station to inform local residents about the erosion so that they could prepare themselves in case of an emergency.

The provincial authority has ordered the reinforcement of the levees by putting two-tonne rocks along the levees’ foundation to reduce erosion.

The province is also proposing that the government allocate a fund of VNĐ800 billion (US$35.8 million) to reinforce the levee in the long term.

The construction of the levees was started in 2002 with a budget of VNĐ42 billion and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was the investor. However, authorities discovered several cases of wrongdoing and corruption related to the project, leading to the prosecution of 13 public officials and contractors.

Since then, construction was left unfinished, leading to serious damage by the high tides. – VNS