The Mekong Delta - New vitality after the floods.

(Baonghean.vn) - 2011 was a very difficult year for the western districts of Nghe An province. Hundreds of houses, many transportation infrastructure projects, schools, and dozens of hectares of agricultural land were swept away in three major floods, causing hundreds of billions of dong in economic losses. The lives of the people, already difficult, became even more challenging. But thanks to the help of the central government, the province, organizations, businesses, and the tireless efforts of the people, new life is gradually emerging here...

Flood after flood

In Ky Son district, within just three months (from June to August), three consecutive flash floods threatened to engulf many communes. The town of Muong Xen and the communes of Bac Ly, My Ly, and Na Ngoi were devastated and ruined after the floods. The roads leading to Bac Ly and My Ly communes were cut off, causing immense hardship for the local people. Residents are terrified whenever it rains, especially at night, fearing that the floodwaters will rise suddenly and they won't have time to react. Many suspension bridges were swept away by the floodwaters. Along the roadsides and on the mountain slopes, many makeshift houses have been erected after the floods. On the faces of many, the horror of the unexpected flash floods is still evident, as if it happened just yesterday.

Temporary bridges were built by locals across the river after the floodwaters receded.

Rarely has the ethnic minority community in western Nghe An province had to contend with so many flash floods as this year. In Tuong Duong district, three floods this year caused damage exceeding 200 billion VND. The flash flood at the end of June alone swept away or collapsed more than 50 houses, displaced over 500 houses in landslide-prone areas, and flooded over 300 houses; more than 10 schools collapsed, and hundreds of kilometers of roads and large areas of agricultural land were damaged by landslides and buried under mud and rocks.

Yen Tinh is one of the communes most severely affected in Tuong Duong district. The flash flood at the end of June swept away 11 houses, submerged nearly 100 others, damaged transportation infrastructure, water supply systems, and public offices, and completely destroyed the school in Hat village. The estimated damage to the entire commune is over 40 billion VND. Mr. Vi Vu Quang, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, shared: "This is the most horrific flash flood in decades. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the loss of property is immense, making life extremely difficult for the people."

Following the floods, Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts established numerous task forces to provide emergency relief to the affected people. Households whose homes were destroyed or swept away received financial assistance to rebuild. Mr. Vi Van Men from Pa Ty village said: "The floods swept away all our property and food, and our house also collapsed. But now, thanks to the attention of the authorities, my family has been able to rebuild a new house worth nearly 50 million VND. Now we can celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) with peace of mind." Ky Son district distributed nearly 200 boxes of instant noodles, 2 boxes of medicine, and thousands of tons of rice and corn seeds to flood-affected residents for production. With the help of central and local ministries and agencies, Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts rebuilt nearly 600 houses damaged by the floods, repaired dozens of kilometers of roads and schools, and cleaned up the premises and workplaces of all public offices and health stations in the area.

Mr. Nguyen Ho Canh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong District, said: "During the days of heavy rain and flooding, district leaders went to the affected areas to help and direct people in overcoming the consequences of the floods. With the motto of absolutely protecting lives and ensuring that people do not go hungry or thirsty, we promptly distributed rice, medicine, and drinking water to help people stabilize their lives. After the flood receded, the district prioritized and accelerated post-flood production recovery, urgently distributing corn and fish seeds to people for production. At the same time, we mobilized people to participate in irrigation work, carrying out dredging of canals that had been eroded and silted up. Areas of rice paddies that could be restored were restored so that people could have land for production."

New vitality

The flood has receded, and life is beginning to flourish for the people here, with the green of cornfields and the fresh green of vegetable gardens. The once fierce Nam Mo River is now calm. The Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Tinh commune affirmed that the flood-affected people no longer have to worry about food shortages during this Tet holiday or the lean season, partly due to timely food relief from higher levels of government, and partly due to the support in terms of seeds and the high yields achieved after the harvest. Standing beside the freshly harvested rice, Mr. Lo Trong Dai, Secretary of Pa Ty village, Yen Tinh commune (Tuong Duong district), happily said: "Thanks to the full support in terms of seeds and fertilizers, the villagers quickly sowed the next crop after the flood receded. After the flood, the alluvial soil was deposited, so the plants grew quickly and healthily. This year's rice crop has been bountiful for almost every household in the village. This Tet, the people no longer fear hunger."

When we revisited the schools in Ky Son district, which had been submerged and swept away by the floods, we truly witnessed the resilience of the teachers and students there. Twelve schools in Ky Son district were damaged or swept away, with six completely destroyed. "Thanks to the help of the authorities and benefactors, the children now have sufficient textbooks and learning materials. Although the teachers and students are currently studying in temporary buildings, we are always striving to overcome difficulties to teach and learn well," said Mr. Dam Quang Huy, Principal of Muong Tip 2 Primary School. Watching the students happily playing in the schoolyard during recess, we admired their spirit of overcoming adversity. Even though some students had their homes swept away and are now living in makeshift shelters, they remain steadfast in their commitment to school and their studies.

There are still difficulties...

However, the severe aftermath of the flash floods continues to cause significant difficulties for many communes in the two districts of Tuong Duong and Ky Son. Because several suspension bridges were swept away by the floods, people are currently having to cross the river using makeshift footbridges. Whenever there is heavy rain, the river water rises, cutting off the lives of many households on the other side of the river. Mr. Lo Hoai Thom, Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Na commune, expressed his concern: "Currently, 30 households in the Khe Chong and Khe O resettlement areas are without homes because their houses were buried in the flash flood at the end of June. Many households are currently living in temporary shelters along the roadside, while some have returned to their old houses despite the danger. Agricultural land in the commune has also decreased significantly due to landslides and siltation. The lives of the people remain very difficult."

Mr. Bui Tram, Chairman of the Ky Son District People's Committee, expressed his concern: "Ky Son, already poor, is becoming even poorer due to the floods. To help Ky Son overcome the post-flood losses, significant support is needed from all levels of government, relevant agencies, and domestic and international organizations. Although Ky Son's appearance has changed remarkably compared to five years ago, given the current unpredictable weather patterns, these achievements are becoming increasingly fragile."

Pham Bang