Ready to respond to landslide risks in mountainous district of Tuong Duong

High risk

According to statistics, in 2022, in the areaXiangyang DistrictThere were many heavy rains, accompanied by whirlwinds, flash floods, storms and tropical depressions of strong intensity, causing great damage, including 1 person injured, 103 houses damaged (7 houses urgently evacuated; 6 houses collapsed; 2 kitchens collapsed; 88 houses had landslides, roofs blown off, damaged); 3 schools were damaged; many traffic routes were eroded, damaged... estimated total damage of more than 59 billion VND.

In 2022, after suffering considerable damage, the District Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue focused on directing the work of overcoming the consequences; organizing visits, encouraging and promptly supporting families with victims. Checking and reviewing households that suffered damage and faced difficulties due to natural disasters to help, subsidize, relieve hunger, handle the environment, prevent and control epidemics, and quickly stabilize life and production. At the same time, repairing works to ensure traffic, irrigation, domestic water, communication, schools and domestic electricity.

In particular, during the rainy season from the end of September 2022, landslides occurred in many places in Tuong Duong district, causing damage to people's property and houses, especially on the road from Cua Rao - Ban Ve passing through Xa Luong and Luong Minh communes, which suffered serious landslides; some resettlement areas in Luong Minh commune also had large cracks and subsidence... In some places, people had to live in high-risk landslide areas for many years, such as Xop Nam village (Tam Hop commune), located at the foot of the mountain at an altitude of 611m above sea level, with the surface mainly being bushes, bamboo and many large rocks at very high risk of landslides affecting 53 households and a kindergarten at the foot of the mountain. In 2021, due to the impact of storms and rains, landslides and rocks fell on a number of houses and kindergartens.

Or in Tung Huong village (Tam Quang commune), there are 75 households living at the foot of a high mountain. After prolonged rains and storms, people here had to move to a safe location because landslides appeared at this location, many rocks with very large volumes rolled from the top of the hill to people's houses, causing panic, anxiety, and making people's lives difficult. Through surveys and assessments of the level of danger and risk of landslides, with an estimated landslide volume of 56,250 m³.

In 2023, performing the tasks of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention - Search and Rescue and Civil Defense on proactively inspecting and reviewing landslide prevention and control, ensuring people's lives and property before the flood season, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district inspected and reviewed 28 locations in villages and hamlets of 7 communes and towns at risk of subsidence and landslides. Accordingly, it was recorded that 391 households with 1,543 people were in areas at risk of landslides, including: Tam Thai commune with 8 locations; Tam Quang commune with 4 locations; Tam Hop commune with 3 locations; Xa Luong commune with 5 locations...

Proactive response

Mr. Lo Kham Kha - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tuong Duong district said: To proactively respond to the risk of landslides, from the beginning of the year, the District People's Committee has issued documents directing the work of natural disaster prevention, control - search and rescue. Assigning departments, branches, People's Committees of communes and towns to summarize and draw experience from the work of natural disaster prevention, control - search and rescue last year and deploy tasks this year. Develop plans and solutions to respond to natural disasters, prepare forces, materials, means and adequate necessities to respond to situations that occur according to the motto "4 on-site".

The District Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue also coordinated with the Ban Ve, Nam Non, Ban Ang Hydropower Plants and the North Central Hydrometeorological Station to organize a media conference to introduce the plant's operating procedures and instruct people in the downstream area on how to recognize and take measures to prevent and respond to some common types of natural disasters.

The Standing Office of the District Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue and the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of communes and towns organize shifts and carry out tasks of natural disaster prevention and search and rescue regularly and seriously. Updating and synthesizing information on natural disasters, issuing directives and fully transmitting telegrams, instructions and decisions of the District and Provincial People's Committees to the people in a timely manner.

Through the results of inspection and survey of locations at risk of flash floods, landslides in the whole district in 2023, it is estimated that the number of people needing to be relocated and evacuated is 708 households, 2,506 people (1,271 people evacuated on-site, 1,235 people evacuated to other places).

According to Mr. Lo Kham Kha, in 2023, the district has issued a plan to respond to natural disasters. Particularly for the risk of landslides, the district has identified high-risk locations, especially inter-commune and inter-village traffic routes in communes and towns. Households of La, Minh Phuong, Xop Mat and Coi villages are located along the route from Cua Rao - Ban Ve (Road 543B); along Route 48C; along the route from Tam Thai - Tam Hop; Xop Kho - Na Ngan, Xop Kho - Na Kho; Xieng Nua - Ban Xan route; Xop Mat - Cham Puong route; Xop Nam village area, Tam Hop commune; Tung Huong and Tan Huong villages, Tam Quang commune; Pha Khao village, Mai Son commune; households located along Khe Bo Hydropower and Nam Non Hydropower reservoirs; resettlement areas with steep terrain and high slopes...

After identifying areas at high risk of landslides, the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of Tuong Duong district has proposed a preparation plan, including organizing a review of residential areas living along streams, streams, and areas at risk of landslides, especially households living in areas with high slopes, etc., implementing a plan to relocate to a safe place before the flood season. Always update and promptly notify the flood situation so that people can proactively respond; when there is prolonged heavy rain, it is necessary to relocate and evacuate households in dangerous areas to safe places (using community cultural houses and schools in safe locations as evacuation places for people); closely monitor the developments of rain, floods, water levels of rivers, reservoirs, and rainfall.

"In particular, the district is also ready to deploy forces, vehicles, and equipment to promptly handle incidents; proactively evacuate people from dangerous areas. Determined to focus on mobilizing all forces to deploy measures to cope with rain and floods, organize rescue and relief. Deploy forces and vehicles to protect key projects; reinforce houses, schools, etc. to minimize the risk of damage caused by landslides" - Mr. Kha emphasized.