Nghe An: More than 500 households benefit from flood-proof house building policy

Nam Cuong Commune is the only locality in Nam Dan district that has flood shelters according to Decision 716 of the Government dated June 14, 2012.

According to Mr. Tran Trung Dung, an officer of the Land and Construction Department of Nam Cuong Commune: The whole commune currently has about 74 flood shelters distributed evenly across 11 hamlets, of which 50 are poor households and 24 are near-poor households. Since having the shelters, the local poor have felt more secure when the rainy season comes, no longer having to evacuate to the dike and minimizing economic losses.

In 2012, Mr. Tran Dinh Binh in Hamlet 6, Nam Cuong Commune (Nam Dan) received 10 million VND from the government. Together with a 10 million VND bank loan and 30 million VND of savings, he built a stilt house with a cost of about 50 million VND. Since then, every time there is a flood, his family feels more secure. Photo: Quang An

As a commune located entirely outside the Ta Lam dike, in the past, the rainy season caused deep and prolonged flooding, forcing the people of Hung Nhan (Hung Nguyen district) to bring their assets, livestock, and poultry to the dike to avoid the flood. Therefore, in the past 5 years, 73 poor households in the commune have received support from the state to build flood shelters.

The huts are usually built on land 2.5 - 3m high above the ground, with an attic for people to avoid floods and to store property when the flood water rises.

Flood-proof huts were built in Hung Nhan commune (Hung Nguyen). Photo: Quang An

Mr. Phan Dinh Hoan - Chairman of Hung Nhan Commune People's Committee said: "In addition to building huts, the commune has about 100 small boats built by the people themselves and 8 large boats to respond promptly when large floods occur. In addition, most households in the commune have built self-rescue islands to store belongings, food, etc.

People in Hung Nhan commune (Hung Nguyen) store food high up during the storm season. Photo: Quang An

Implementing the policy of supporting the poor to build flood-proof houses, Quynh Luu district has 2,539 poor households registered, but only 5 poor households are eligible to be considered for house building. Of the 5 households supported to build houses, 4 are in Quynh Hung commune and 1 is in Quynh Dien commune. Currently, all of the above households have completed the construction of solid flood-proof houses according to the design.

Solid flood-proof house in Quynh Luu. Photo: Viet Hung

Mr. Dang Ngoc Binh - Vice Chairman of Quynh Luu District People's Committee said that the Government's flood-proof housing support program is meaningful and practically effective. However, the district will send an official dispatch requesting the Department of Construction and the Provincial People's Committee to consider and replicate this model.