Consequences of hydropower in the 2018 flood season: Still waiting for… support
(Baonghean) - In March 2019, at a meeting to discuss and resolve existing problems and difficulties in compensation, support and resettlement of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung directed to urgently resolve the consequences arising from the floods in 2018. However, up to now, these contents are still on paper...
DIRECTION OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
To resolve the existing problems and difficulties in compensation, support, resettlement of Ban Ve hydropower project and overcoming the consequences of the 2018 flood, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee assigned Tuong Duong district to coordinate with relevant departments to review, inspect and report in detail. On that basis, the Provincial People's Committee has reported and recommended to the Government.
Accordingly, Tuong Duong district needs to repair resettlement houses and degraded public works built by the investor with a budget of more than 2.5 billion VND; Support leveling houses for 3 disadvantaged villages in the Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir area with a budget of more than 1.9 billion VND; Invest in additional resettlement areas in Xop Vi cluster to relocate the remaining 59 households in Xop Chao, Khe Pang and Pung Meo villages, with a budget of about 11 billion VND. Support the construction of a new Khe O resettlement area in Yen Na commune with a budget of about 5 billion VND; Support the construction of Yen Na Secondary School with a budget of about 8.5 billion VND; compensate and support land on the flooded area with about more than 107 billion VND...
Support for damage caused by the flood discharge on August 30-31, 2018 is about 22 billion VND. Of which, 10 billion VND is supported to build infrastructure for 31 households in Luong Minh commune to have new housing; 10 billion VND to repair 4 flooded and damaged locations on route 543B; 2 billion VND to repair 2 damaged suspension bridges.
 |
| Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung directed to urgently resolve the consequences arising from the 2018 floods in Nghe An, at a meeting on March 28, 2019. Photo: PV |
On March 28, 2019, the Government Office held a meeting to resolve existing problems and difficulties in compensation, support, resettlement of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project and overcoming the consequences of the 2018 flood, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung.
After listening to the report of Nghe An province leaders and the opinions of delegates attending the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung concluded: The compensation, support and resettlement policies at the Ban Ve Hydropower Project still have some problems, directly affecting the lives of people in the resettlement and resettlement areas in recent years.
In particular, the impact of storm No. 4 (August 2018) caused severe damage to people's houses, structures, crops and many other public works.
In order to soon stabilize the lives of people and ethnic minorities in the Vietnam - Laos border area due to the need to hand over the construction site of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project before the 2019 flood season, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is requested to direct the Vietnam Electricity Group to urgently coordinate with the People's Committee of Nghe An province and Tuong Duong and Thanh Chuong districts to review existing problems related to compensation, support, resettlement and damage after storm No. 4 (August 2018) of people in the Ban Ve Hydropower Project area and the project-affected area.
On that basis, consider and handle financial support from the investment capital of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project in accordance with current regulations, in order to help people in the project area overcome existing problems and difficulties in compensation, support, and resettlement...
 |
| Images of people suffering from floods are still present today. Photo: Nhat Lan |
SLOW IS STILL SLOW
Until June 20, 2019, the meeting to review, consider, and provide funding to handle existing problems in compensation, support, and resettlement of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project and resolve issues after the 2018 flood was just held.
At this meeting, the 2018 flood support in Tuong Duong was agreed to consider the following contents: Building a resettlement area to arrange emergency accommodation for households affected by floods and landslides in Minh Phuong village, Xop Mat village, Tuong Duong district, downstream of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant. Resettlement area to arrange emergency accommodation for households affected by floods and landslides in Minh Phuong village, Xop Mat village, Tuong Duong district, downstream of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant.
The scale of implementation is to level the ground to build public works and divide residential land plots for 17 households, reserve land fund when separating households; build roads leading to resettlement areas type B, internal roads type C, build electricity and domestic water supply systems.
Carry out urgent evacuation of 34 households from landslide-prone areas in Luong Minh commune. To do this, it is necessary to level the ground to build public works and divide residential land plots for 34 households, reserve land fund when separating households; build roads leading to resettlement areas, cultural houses, electricity and water supply systems...
In addition, repair Xop Mat suspension bridge, Ban La suspension bridge in Luong Minh commune; repair and restore Provincial Road 543B located in the flood discharge corridor of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant, section Km25+00- Km36+150. Repair the road surface, reroute flooded sections, build embankments to protect sections with landslides on the negative slope, repair works on the route. The total cost is about 28.2 billion VND.
 |
| Roads and river embankments in Tuong Duong district were damaged after the flood. Photo: NL |
Regarding the handling of existing problems in site clearance and resettlement, it was agreed to propose the construction of a resettlement area for 59 households in Xop Chao village, Luong Minh commune; repair resettlement houses and 9 public works (cultural houses and schools); build a resettlement area in Ban Ve to urgently relocate 19 households in Khe Chong, Ban Ve out of the landslide area; build roads for the resettlement area in Ca Moong village, Xop Chao village, Luong Minh commune under the Ban Ve Hydropower Resettlement Project. The total cost of these projects is estimated at 31.1 billion VND.
In Con Cuong district, the floods in August 2019 and the discharge of water from Khe Bo and Ban Ve Hydropower Plants caused great damage to infrastructure, property and crops of the people.
According to statistics from the People's Committee of Con Cuong district, the communes along Lam river including Lang Khe, Chau Khe, Cam Lam, Chi Khe, Con Cuong town and Bong Khe have suffered heavy losses in agricultural production, aquaculture, livestock, infrastructure works, flooding of residential areas, schools, etc.; nearly 20 hectares of agricultural land have been permanently lost. The total estimated cost of damage is nearly 27 billion VND.
In 2018, the Provincial People's Committee also sent a team to inspect and assess the damage, but so far there has been no support plan for the people. Therefore, the Con Cuong District People's Committee was also invited to attend the meeting on June 20, 2019.
However, according to a responsible official of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district, the meeting only considered the construction of Lam River embankments in vulnerable sections, and the damage that this locality must bear has not been considered.
 |
| Riverbank landslides seriously affect traffic routes. Photo: NL |
Speaking to Nghe An Newspaper reporters on July 7, 2019, the person in charge of the Tuong Duong District People's Committee said that the meeting on June 20 was to prepare the content for the Provincial People's Committee to work with the Vietnam Electricity Group. This is a key meeting to completely resolve the existing problems and difficulties in the Ban Ve Hydropower Project and the consequences of the 2018 flood...
According to statistics from the Tuong Duong district government, due to the flood discharge on August 30 and 31, 2018, in Xa Luong commune, 14 households were affected and needed to be relocated. The total support budget is estimated at over 4.6 billion VND. Currently, the district People's Committee has arranged land to build a resettlement area in the residential area of Xieng Huong village. However, there is currently no funding to support people to relocate their houses and assets to a new place of residence.