HÒA BÌNH — Chairman of Hòa Bình Province’s People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Quang has ordered authorities of Kỳ Sơn District to arrange a resettlement area for residents whose houses have been vulnerable to landslides on Road 445.

The provincial authorities will supply water and power for the resettlement area, he said on Monday at a provincial meeting on resettlement projects for people affected by natural disasters.

He ordered officials to arrange accommodations for eight families whose houses were directly affected by the landslides and to issue landslide warnings on Road 445 for people passing by.

Torrential rains since the middle last month due to the Sơn Tinh storm plus a high volume of water released from Hòa Bình Hydropower Plant have flooded the downstream area of the Đà River, including Kỳ Sơn District and Hòa Bình City, and eroded land in the area.

Fifteen houses along Road 445 in Kỳ Sơn District, located about 20km from Hòa Bình Hydropower Plant, were vulnerable to land erosion and collapse.

Since July 30, nine houses in Đồng Tiến Ward, Hòa Bình City completely collapsed into Đà River. Then other houses half collapsed and nine houses had cracks on the walls or floors.

As many as 134 other houses along the Đà River in Đồng Tiến Ward of Hòa Bình City are highly prone to landslides.

Thirty-five households of the ward have been evacuated to safer areas.

The local authorities have planned to move another 35 households to Trung Minh Commune’s resettlement area and expand the land lot next to Trung Minh Commune’s resettlement area to build a new resettlement area which is expected to cover 2.1ha.

The city’s authorities have also proposed building a new resettlement area in Thái Thịnh Commune for landslide-prone families.

The provincial People’s Committee ordered Hòa Bình City authorities to level the surface of landslide-prone areas before September 10.

Chairman Quang also ordered the installation of more pumping stations in the city to prevent floods.

Thirteen urgent resettlement areas have been completed in the districts of  Đà Bắc, Kim Bôi, Mai Châu, Tân Lạc and Hòa Bình City and residents have moved in. Power and water infrastructure is about to be completed. — VNS