Boat people and their feelings when the flood season comes
(Baonghean) -We came to the fishing village right at the foot of Yen Xuan bridge, in Hung Xuan commune (Hung Nguyen district, Nghe An), where people are facing uncertainties when the flood season comes.
It has become a tradition that every rainy season, when the Lam River rises, the people of Hung Xuan fishing village are busy repairing their boats and finding safe shelters for their family boats. "Although I have been familiar with the river since childhood and can swim well, the uncertainties caused by floods are unpredictable, especially the safety of my young children" - said Mr. Nguyen Van Hoan (born in 1978), who lives here.
Families drifting under Yen Xuan bridge
The property of each household here is only a boat to live in, which is also the living space of a large family, on both sides are separate baskets for dogs, chickens, pigs and a few small boats used for fishing. Mr. Hoan's family currently has 6 members (2 parents and 4 children), eating, living and studying of the children all take place on the boat. His family's livelihood is to cast fishing nets along the Lam River, if the weather is stable, each day of fishing from dawn can earn 100 thousand, enough money to buy rice and take care of the children to go to school. However, during the rainy season, every time there is a storm warning, the whole family loses sleep and appetite, worrying about finding a place to anchor the boat, worrying about rice, salt, vegetables, clean water to use during the rainy and stormy days.
Like Mr. Hao and Ms. Nang's family, there are 9 members (2 parents and 7 children), including 2 disabled children (born mute). In addition to taking care of every meal, they also have to take care of their growing children. At this time, the desire to go ashore of the families here is stronger than ever.
Innocent children row on the river, regardless of the risks.
At the People's Committee of Hung Xuan Commune, we were informed by the Chairman of the People's Committee of the Commune, Nguyen Van Phan: The fishing village at the foot of Yen Xuan Bridge has about 20 households, belonging to the population of Hamlet 3, Hung Xuan Commune (Hung Nguyen). It is said to have about 20 households because the number of households always changes depending on the tide.
However, because of the need for education for their children, along with the desire to have a stable life after years of drifting, they have gathered together on a river and entered the locality where they live. As for the people of the fishing village, they have submitted many applications for land to the commune, and the commune has also organized the review according to the list of permanent residents in the area.
Currently, the commune has also submitted a report to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on building flood shelters for households in the fishing village under the Disaster Risk Management Project (WB5). This is truly a great hope for them to avoid major risks when the rainy season comes. However, the most important thing is to be able to stabilize their lives on land. Up to now, due to the difficulty in mobilizing capital to build resettlement areas, these households are still having to accept a life of drifting with the tide.
Quang An
