Relocate four households soon to avoid landslides along the Chau Binh drainage canal.

(Baonghean) - Through the hotline, readers informed Baonghean Newspaper about the landslide affecting the Chau Binh drainage canal (Quy Chau) - a component of the Ban Mong irrigation reservoir project, and the unpredictable dangers facing some households...

People are worried.

Regarding the verification of reader feedback in Chau Binh, it is true that there are 4 families whose houses and gardens are located right next to the Chau Binh drainage canal, in areas prone to landslides during rainfall. These are the family of Mr. Kim Van Dai at position K2+557.1 to K2+600.0, in Binh 3 village, and the three families of Ms. Pham Thi Chinh, Mr. Ho Ba Suu, and Mr. Ho Ba Quy at position K3+100.0 to K3+287.17 in Quynh 1 village.

Mr. Kim Van Dai's house is only a few meters from the right bank of the Chau Binh drainage canal (an area frequently affected by landslides). Photo: Nhat Lan

Mr. Kim Van Dai's household is located about 5-6 meters from the right bank of the Chau Binh drainage canal. From Mr. Dai's house, looking out at the canal, both banks are currently made of earth, with many signs of erosion and subsidence. According to Mr. Dai's youngest son, Kim Van Hung, the canal bank erosion began during the rainy season of 2015, which is also the time when the canal was formed.

At that time, worried about the impact on their house and garden, the family voiced their concerns to the construction company. They were told that "the canal bank would be reinforced." Mr. Hung said, "They told us that, but nothing has been done to this day. Every time it rains, the canal bank erodes. My family's garden and house are only a few meters from the canal; how can we not be worried...?"

For Mrs. Pham Thi Chinh's family, their house is located about 8-9 meters from the right bank of the Chau Binh drainage canal. The banks of the canal in this area are in a similar condition to the bank next to Mr. Kim Van Dai's house, suffering serious erosion due to the lack of hardening of the banks.

According to Ms. Chinh, when the government constructed the Chau Binh drainage canal, her family's garden and house were located right in the middle of the canal, so they had to be relocated and resettled. After receiving over one billion VND in compensation, she bought land from local residents and built a house.

At the time of construction, no one came to warn us that the house was built close to the canal, posing a safety risk. Only after it was finished did we realize the canal was also built close to our house; and then, seeing the canal bank erode during rain, negatively affecting our house and garden, we became worried and concerned.

Ms. Chinh said: "I am 65 years old this year. Building a new house has already exhausted my money and strength, so I'm very afraid of having to relocate a second time. My greatest wish is to prevent the canal bank from eroding so that we can have a stable place to live. If that's not possible, I hope the competent authorities will pay attention and develop a concrete plan soon, because this situation is causing me sleepless nights and anxiety..."

According to Mr. Le Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the Chau Binh Commune People's Committee, the erosion of the drainage canal has affected the houses and gardens of four households, a problem the commune authorities have raised at numerous meetings. However, to date, no concrete solutions have been proposed. "In our opinion, all four households should be relocated and resettled..." Mr. Le Van Toan stated.

How long do we have to wait?

According to Lo Thanh Son, Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quy Chau District, representing the Compensation, Support, and Resettlement Council of Quy Chau District, the Chau Binh drainage canal has been basically completed according to the design. However, many sections of the canal banks have eroded, and the erosion is becoming increasingly complex, with many sections experiencing deep erosion that damages the foundation and drainage ditches. Because this issue poses a risk of negatively impacting the houses and gardens of some households, Quy Chau District has requested the Ban Mong Project Management Board to inspect the situation and find a solution.

Ms. Pham Thi Chinh speaks with a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper. Photo: Nhat Lan

In mid-April 2017, the Ban Mong Project Management Board and the consulting unit, after conducting a detailed inspection along the canal route, identified location 1 from K2+557.1 to K2+600.0, where Mr. Kim Van Dai's house (Binh 3 village) is located, with a distance of 6.0 meters from the edge of the house to the edge of the Chau Binh drainage canal on the right bank. Location 2, from K3+100.0 to K3+287.17, includes three houses: Ms. Pham Thi Chinh's house, Mr. Ho Ba Suu's house, and Mr. Ho Ba Quy's house (Quynh 1 village), with an average distance of 9.5 meters from the edge of the house to the edge of the Chau Binh drainage canal on the right bank. The Ban Mong Project Management Board and the consulting unit determined that these two locations have been and are experiencing complex and unpredictable landslides, especially during heavy rains.

Because ensuring the safety of people's lives and property is a pressing issue, Quy Chau district subsequently submitted a report to the competent provincial authorities and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, requesting consideration of a definitive solution. Mr. Lo Thanh Son stated: "The view of Quy Chau district is that it is necessary to promptly relocate and resettle the four households from the vulnerable, landslide-prone area of ​​the Chau Binh drainage canal…".

According to Mr. Dinh Tri Lam, Deputy Head of the Ban Mong Project Management Board, inspections confirmed that the landslides along the Chau Binh drainage canal are becoming more complex and pose a risk to the homes of four households. Therefore, on April 28th, the Board issued Official Letter No. 81/BQLDABM-KH prioritizing the implementation of the detailed design and cost estimate for reinforcing the Chau Binh drainage canal embankment in several landslide sections that pose a risk to residential houses, under the category of auxiliary dam, lake connecting canal, and Chau Binh drainage canal, and sent it to the consulting unit.

In addition to requesting the consulting unit to thoroughly investigate the causes of the landslide on the Chau Binh drainage canal, Official Letter No. 81 also requires the consulting unit to "study and calculate options for relocation or reinforcement to ensure long-term stability and cost savings."

The question arises: With the rainy season approaching, has the consulting unit yet come up with a solution? According to Mr. Dinh Tri Lam, the consulting unit and scientists are currently researching to accurately assess the cause of the landslide in the Chau Binh drainage canal. Because the Ban Mong reservoir irrigation project is a national-level project, the research results need to be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for evaluation, therefore, time is needed… “After the consulting unit comes up with a solution to remedy the problem, the Board will submit it to the competent authority for consideration and decision…” - Mr. Dinh Tri Lam stated.

Nhat Lan