A house in Nậm Sập Village at risk of collapse any time. — VNA/VNS Photo Quý Trung |
LAI CHÂU — Twenty-three households living along a stream in Nậm Sập Village in Nậm Nhùn District’s Nậm Pì Commune will be relocated to a new place before the rainy season this year.
The move is to prevent these families living in the northern mountainous province of Lai Châu from getting affected by flash floods and landslides.
Landslides along the stream in recent years have reportedly affected houses in the area. During the rainy season, these houses are prone to collapse as rocky and muddy water from the mountains rushes downwards in a strong flow.
Pàn Thị Lâu, a villager, said water rose up to 3m high last year, inundating her house. Her family had to move to neighbouring houses.
Lò Văn Chuyền, chairman of Nậm Pì Commune’s People’s Committee, said since May 21, houses in areas that are prone to landslides would be dismantled. Residents will be assisted in shifting to a new location, where land clearance is underway.
Local authorities have instructed residents to take necessary steps to respond to natural disasters.
According to Chuyền, Nậm Sập Village has 23 households with 105 people, all of whom belong to the Mảng ethnic minority group. The village is the most backward in Nậm Pì Commune, with 100 per cent of its households listed as “poor”.
Accessing the village, located nearly 50km from the centre of the district, is difficult, Chuyền said. — VNS