Concerns in resettlement areas in landslide areas

The mysterious cracks

Five years after mysterious cracks appeared around the village, the people of Pha Khao village (Mai Son commune, Tuong Duong district) have now been moved to a new, spacious and convenient place to live. However, until now, they still do not understand the reason why those cracks appeared in the old village, even though many groups have come to survey and investigate.

Pha Khao is the only Mong village in Mai Son commune, one of the most remote communes in Nghe An. This commune is 120 km from the center of Tuong Duong district. The commune has 10 villages, including 6 Thai villages, 2 Kho Mu villages and 1 Mong village. Pha Khao village is quite far from the commune center. Until now, when mentioning the cracks in the old village, Pha Khao people are still not over the panic. In 2018, a series of cracks appeared in Pha Khao village, making people worried. The width of the cracks ranged from about 5 - 70 cm, many places were nearly 2 m deep. The cracks stretched for more than 1 km around the village.

Cracks in the old version. Photo: TH

After the cracks appeared, the primary and kindergarten schools in this village had to close and set up temporary shelters in vacant lots to teach. However, these shelters were later severely damaged. The schools had to borrow temporary houses from local residents to continue teaching and learning. The authorities also do not know the cause of these cracks. Meanwhile, the locals and teachers working here are very worried because the cracks are getting more and more serious.

Not only that, the old Pha Khao village also faces many difficulties, when the traffic is isolated, it is difficult to construct the national grid and other civil works. The biggest worry is the constant threat of landslides when the rainy season comes, so the people always hope that the local government will pay attention to organizing and arranging a new resettlement area.

Based on the legitimate petitions of the people and local authorities, at the 14th Session, the 17th Nghe An Provincial People's Council (May 2020) approved a Resolution on the investment policy of the project to urgently relocate 49 households in Pha Khao village, Mai Son commune, Tuong Duong district out of the dangerous landslide area. Accordingly, the project is invested by the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district with the goal of building new technical infrastructure for the resettlement area to move 49 households in Pha Khao village, Mai Son commune out of the dangerous landslide area to ensure the safety of life, property, and long-term housing for the people. The project covers an area of ​​5 hectares, with a total investment of 21 billion VND from the central and local budgets. After the policy was approved, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district selected the location and implemented the construction stages of the resettlement area for the people of Pha Khao village according to the set plan.

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

There are still many concerns.

Up to now, all 49 Mong households of Pha Khao village have relocated their houses and assets 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 concrete road system within the village, provide national grid electricity, solidify schools, and a very spacious community cultural house.

The new village is located on a high hill, divided into 4 different levels for people to build houses, the roads around the village are concreted. By September 2022, with the permission of the local government, the first households of Pha Khao village demolished their houses at the old location and moved to the resettlement area with the desire to stabilize their lives long-term. As of April 2023, all 49 Mong ethnic households in the village had completed moving to the new village location. Here, people can use grid electricity, have TVs to watch, and have convenient phone signals for communication.

Mr. Gia Ba Phia - one of the households in Pha Khao said that in the new village, the State invested in building everything from electricity, roads, cultural houses... the people's lives have become more convenient and less difficult. The people are also very happy, many families also took this opportunity to renovate their houses to make them more beautiful". After more than 2 years of implementation and construction with the efforts of the investor and contractor, in mid-2022, the basic items of the resettlement area in Pha Khao village were completed.

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

Being present in Pha Khao village these days, it is not difficult for us to recognize the excitement coming from the people of Pha Khao. However, along with that, the people also share many worries. Accordingly, living in the new location not long ago, the households continue to face the old worries. The people of Pha Khao village hope that the local authorities will soon have solutions to prevent and overcome the landslide situation in the resettlement area to stabilize their lives in the long term.

However, the joy did not last long, after many prolonged rains, the people of Pha Khao faced the old worry of continuing to be threatened by landslides. Because according to the people's reflection, during the rainy season of 2022, due to the large amount of water flowing down, the soil and rocks at the foot of the hill, where the resettlement area was located, had severe landslides. In some places, the landslides even touched the edge of the concrete road inside the village and were only a short distance from the location where people were building their houses.

Landslide in resettlement village. Photo: TH

The positive slope is eroded after every rain. Photo: TH

Directly benefiting from the preferential policies of the State, the people of Pha Khao village also pointed out the weaknesses in the resettlement area such as: Narrow area, too steep terrain, when heavy rains last for a long time, water from the residential area flows into streams down the hillside, leading to landslides. From reality, the people hope that the investor has a plan to supplement capital to build a solid drainage system to avoid landslides when the rainy season comes.

Ms. Lo Thi Huong - Chairwoman of Mai Son Commune People's Committee said that the new resettlement area does not have a drainage system on the negative slope, so it is easy to be flooded every time it rains heavily. People want a drainage system to avoid this situation. "In addition, landslides also occur on the positive slope. Every time it rains, rocks and soil slide down," Ms. Huong said and informed that, based on people's feedback and actual inspections, the commune has made many recommendations, and so far, Tuong Duong District People's Committee has also had a policy to overcome the limitations at the Pha Khao resettlement area. However, the local government has not yet arranged funds to implement the construction of additional items./.