Concerns in resettlement areas affected by landslides.

Mysterious cracks

Five years after mysterious cracks appeared surrounding their village, the residents of Pha Khao village (Mai Son commune, Tuong Duong district) have been relocated to new, spacious, and convenient homes. However, to this day, they still don't understand why those cracks appeared in their old village, despite numerous delegations visiting to investigate.

Pha Khao is the only Hmong village in Mai Son commune, one of the most remote communes in Nghe An province. The commune is located 120 km from the center of Tuong Duong district. The commune has 10 villages, including 6 Thai villages, 2 Khmu villages, and 1 Hmong village. Pha Khao village is quite far from the commune center. Even now, the villagers of Pha Khao are still apprehensive about the cracks in the old village. In 2018, a series of cracks appeared in Pha Khao village, causing concern among the residents. The cracks ranged in width from about 5 to 70 cm, with many places nearly 2 meters deep. The cracks extended for more than 1 km, encircling the village.

Cracks in the old version. Photo: TH

After the cracks appeared, the primary and kindergarten schools in the village had to close, setting up temporary shelters in open fields for classes. However, these shelters were also severely damaged. The schools had to borrow houses from local residents to continue teaching and learning. The authorities are also unsure of the cause of these cracks. Meanwhile, the local people and teachers are very worried because the cracks are becoming increasingly serious.

Furthermore, the old Pha Khao village faces many difficulties, including poor transportation infrastructure, challenges in constructing the national power grid, and other public works. The biggest concern is the constant threat of landslides during the rainy season, leading residents to hope that the local authorities will organize and arrange a new resettlement area.

Based on the legitimate requests of the local people, at the 14th session of the 17th term of the Nghe An Provincial People's Council (May 2020), a resolution was passed on the investment policy for the emergency relocation project of 49 households in Pha Khao village, Mai Son commune, Tuong Duong district, from the dangerous landslide area. Accordingly, the project, with the Tuong Duong District People's Committee as the investor, aims to build new technical infrastructure for the resettlement area to relocate the 49 households from the dangerous landslide area, ensuring the safety of lives and property, and providing long-term stable housing for the people. The project covers an area of ​​5 hectares, with a total investment of 21 billion VND from central and local budgets. After the policy was approved, the Tuong Duong District People's Committee selected the site and implemented the construction of the resettlement area for the people of Pha Khao village according to the plan.

49 households are gradually settling into the resettlement area. Photo: TH

There are still many concerns.

To date, all 49 Mong ethnic minority households in Pha Khao village have relocated their homes and belongings to the resettlement area to stabilize their lives. The new location is not far from the old village. Here, the village has received investment from the State to build a system of concrete roads within the village, provide national grid electricity, and have a modern and well-equipped school and community cultural center.

The new village is situated on a high hill, leveled into four different tiers to allow residents to build houses, and the roads around the village have been paved with concrete. By September 2022, with the permission of the local authorities, the first households of Pha Khao village dismantled their old houses and moved to the resettlement area with the hope of establishing a stable life in the long term. As of April 2023, all 49 Mong ethnic minority households in the village had completed their relocation to the new village. Here, residents have access to electricity, television, and convenient mobile phone service.

Mr. Gia Ba Phia, one of the residents of Pha Khao village, said that in the new village, the government has built everything from electricity and roads to a cultural center, making life much easier and less difficult for the people. The villagers are very happy, and many families are taking this opportunity to renovate their houses to make them more beautiful. After more than two years of implementation and construction, with the efforts of the investor and contractor, the basic components of the Pha Khao resettlement area were completed in mid-2022.

Residents of Pha Khao build houses in the resettlement area. Photo: TH

Visiting Pha Khao village these days, we easily noticed the excitement among the people. However, along with that, the villagers also shared many worries. They have only been living in their new location for a short time, yet the families are once again facing the same old concerns. The people of Pha Khao village hope that local authorities will soon implement solutions to prevent and mitigate landslides in the resettlement area to ensure long-term stability in their lives.

However, the joy was short-lived. After several prolonged rainstorms, the people of Pha Khao faced their old worry: the continued threat of landslides. According to residents, during the 2022 rainy season, the large volume of water flowing down caused severe landslides at the foot of the hill where the resettlement area is located. In some places, the landslides even reached the edge of the village's concrete road and were not far from where people's houses were being built.

Landslide in the resettlement village. Photo: TH

The embankment on the uphill side is eroded after every rain. Photo: TH

Directly benefiting from the State's preferential policies, the people of Pha Khao village also pointed out weaknesses in the resettlement area such as: small area, extremely steep terrain, and during prolonged heavy rains, water from the residential area flows down the hillside in concentrated streams, leading to landslides. Based on this reality, the people hope that the investor will have a plan to supplement funding to build a solid drainage system to prevent landslides when the rainy season arrives.

Ms. Lo Thi Huong, Chairwoman of the Mai Son Commune People's Committee, stated that the new resettlement area lacks a drainage system on the negative slope, making it prone to flooding during heavy rains. Residents hope for a drainage system to prevent this. “In addition, landslides are occurring on the positive slope. Every time it rains, soil and rocks slide down,” Ms. Huong said, adding that based on residents' feedback and on-site inspections, the commune has repeatedly submitted requests, and the Tuong Duong District People's Committee has now approved measures to address these shortcomings in the Pha Khao resettlement area. However, the local government has not yet allocated the necessary funds to implement the additional construction work.