Overcoming flooded fields related to the construction of the Nghi Son - Cua Lo coastal road

Blockage of drainage flow in vegetable growing areas

The Nghi Son - Cua Lo coastal road project passes through Quynh Luu district with a total length of 16.17 km. By May 30, 2024, Quynh Luu district had handed over the entire route of 15.48 km/16.17 km, reaching 96% of the project. However, according to people in some communes in Quynh Luu district, during the project construction process, problems arose that affected vegetable production activities in the fields.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nam, a resident of Hoc Van hamlet, Quynh Bang commune, Quynh Luu district, said: “My family has nearly 1 sao of vegetable production next to the Nghi Son - Cua Lo coastal road under construction. Since the construction of this road, due to the lack of drainage canals, vegetables have been washed away and flooded. I hope to have a drainage canal built from top to bottom.”

Not only Mrs. Nam's household, dozens of vegetable-producing households in Quynh Bang commune are also in the same situation. According to Mr. Vu Van Duong - Chairman of Quynh Bang Commune People's Committee: "Before the coastal road was built, during the rainy season, the water could not drain in time. Since the construction, due to silting, the drainage flow has been blocked. According to the design, the project passing through the vegetable-producing area has arranged sluice gates, but because there is no ditch system along the route, the water cannot be concentrated in one place to drain through the sluice gates."

In Quynh Minh commune, according to local people's feedback, since the Coastal Road Project was implemented, many vegetable growing areas have been frequently flooded due to blocked water flows. Meanwhile, there is currently no drainage system in this area. In addition, some temporary drainage culverts at the foot of the fields are very small and covered with soil and rocks. In addition, the coastal road is being designed and built higher than the field surface, but there are not many connecting roads up and down to the vegetable growing area.

“The construction of the coastal road section Nghi Son - Cua Lo brings many economic benefits to the people in transporting, exchanging goods, and traveling between localities. However, there are some shortcomings in drainage issues. During the rainy season, a lot of water flows from above the road to the fields. If drainage pipes are not installed across the road, it will affect production. I request that superiors study and install larger drainage pipes to ensure strong drainage to limit flooding for local vegetables,” said Mr. Ho Dien An in Hamlet 7, Quynh Minh Commune.

Mr. Ho Dien Vy - Vice Chairman of Quynh Minh Commune People's Committee said that currently, farmers are very worried when the road to their vegetable production area is facing difficulties, especially in the process of transporting goods and consuming products. The most typical example is the road connecting Quynh Hau - Quynh Doi communes, the construction unit has dug up the entire road, making it difficult for people to actively go to the fields. Besides, the coastal road to the fields is too steep, not ensuring travel. We request that departments and branches soon have a policy to overcome the above situation, so that people can feel secure in production during the upcoming rainy and stormy season."

Identify the cause and how to fix it

According to the authorities of some communes of Quynh Luu district where the Nghi Son - Cua Lo coastal road project passes through, the recommendations and proposals have been reported to higher levels. The leaders of Quynh Luu district People's Committee also affirmed that after receiving the recommendations of the people, the district People's Committee issued Document No. 1219/UBND.KTHT dated May 10, 2024, requesting the Department of Transport of Nghe An province to consider resolving this issue. Mr. Ho Nghia Duong - Head of the Economic - Infrastructure Department of Quynh Luu district said that on May 22, 2024, the Traffic Project Management Board, Department of Transport issued Document No. 348/QLDA.DA2 responding to recommendations related to public opinion information on the Nghi Son - Cua Lo coastal road, section Km7 - Km76 through Quynh Luu district.

Accordingly, the Traffic Project Management Board said that after receiving feedback from the locality, the board coordinated with the District People's Committee and the communes of Quynh Minh, Quynh Luong, and Quynh Bang to conduct a site inspection, consider the causes and propose remedial measures. Specifically: According to the design documents, the embankment sections passing through agricultural production areas do not have drainage ditches, only cross-road drainage ditches and return ditches connecting the existing ditches are designed.

Through on-site inspection, the cause of flooding was due to some households re-encroaching, arbitrarily building embankments, and building roads up and down within the area that had been handed over for site clearance, causing blockage of the flow. On the part of the construction unit, the Traffic Works Project Management Board will coordinate with hamlets and communes to inspect and clear the blocked flow sections caused by households encroaching, building embankments and roads with the coastal road to ensure drainage along the horizontal culverts... Particularly, the section through Quynh Bang commune will organize the completion of the connection of the upstream and downstream ditches of 4 culverts at Km17+47; Km17+702; Km18+184; Km 18+720 and be completed before June 15, 2024.

Regarding the issue of agricultural production fields near the coastal road, which encounter difficulties and dangers during production due to the high elevation between the road surface and the production fields, the Traffic Project Management Board, Department of Transport also said that according to the approved design documents, the residential cross-roads are smoothly sloped according to the current structure. The intra-field roads are not designed to slope. Currently, the residential cross-roads have been constructed with basic slopes to ensure smoothness. Through inspection of some agricultural production fields near the coastal road, households arbitrarily sloped the roads up and down for farming, causing traffic insecurity for people and vehicles traveling on the route, and danger to people when going up and down the production area.

Therefore, to ensure traffic safety, the Traffic Project Management Board and the Department of Transport request the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district as well as the People's Committees of Quynh Bang, Quynh Minh and Quynh Luong communes to strengthen propaganda and mobilize people to stop the situation of arbitrarily building and connecting the internal field roads to the route for travel, causing traffic insecurity and blocking the flow of water, causing flooding. During the cultivation process, mobilize households to travel along the existing internal field roads.

On the construction side, the Project Management Board will direct the inspection and demolition of internal roads to ensure safety and drainage of water flow.