Worried about dozens of landslides in Ky Son

Uneasy when the rainy season comes

In early August 2024, the weather in the remote district of Ky Son was sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoon, the air was hot and stuffy. Local people said that this was the beginning of the rainy season. Moving from Muong Xen town to Muong Tip commune, along the asphalted road to the center of the commune, in addition to the landslides from the 2023 rainy season that had been handled, there were many new landslides. Many sections of the ditch were buried by rocks sliding down the mountain, many sections of the road were covered with rocks.

Meeting a man named Hoa Ba Nuu going from Vang Phao village, Muong Tip commune to Muong Xen town, he said that at the rather large landslide point in Xop Tip village, when it rains, the villagers do not dare to go through this road section, for fear of rocks falling from the mountain. "There are days when it is sunny but sometimes there are still small rocks falling from the top of the mountain, it is very scary. But besides going by river, this is the only road to go to Muong Xen, so even though we are afraid, we still have to go when necessary. Going by detour is too far, and there are many other landslide points" - Mr. Hoa Ba Nuu added.

Providing more information about the landslide situation, the staff of the Ky Son District Project Management Board said that the authorities always recommend that people passing through this route must wear full helmets to prevent injuries if rocks fall on them. At the same time, it is recommended to limit passing through when it rains. If the rain lasts for a long time, some high-risk landslide spots will be closed to ensure people's safety.

The leader of Muong Tip Commune People's Committee said that along the road from Muong Xen town to Muong Tip, there were 8 landslides in the villages: Huoi Khoi, Cha Lat, Xop Phe, Xop Tip, Vang Phao, Na My, Ta Do and Pha Noi. In addition, there were 2 riverbank landslides in Xop Tip and Na My villages. "All 8 landslides on the Muong Xen - Ta Do road are located in Muong Tip commune, many of which occur frequently, very dangerous for road users. We are very worried, and have assigned people to regularly monitor the situation to promptly warn people", Mr. Moong Van Kham - Vice Chairman of Muong Tip Commune People's Committee shared.

In addition to Muong Tip, Ta Ca commune is also one of the high-risk locations affected by natural disasters when the rainy season comes, especially Hoa Son village. In early August 2024, we returned to Hoa Son village, where a terrible flash flood occurred in October 2022, sweeping away dozens of houses and killing one person. Although people have repaired and rebuilt their houses or built temporary houses to live in, the haunting traces of the flash flood still remain on many walls of the houses here.

Ms. Vi Thi Huong, a resident whose house is near the entrance of Hoa Son village, said, "Whenever it rains, I can't sleep because I'm scared, especially at night. I always have bags in my house with necessary things, so that when it rains too much, the water rises, and the flood comes, I can evacuate in time. But last year's flood washed away all my property, leaving nothing behind," Ms. Huong confided. Then, she pointed to the mud stains still imprinted on the wall of her house, saying, "That year's flood water rose up to here, up to my waist, and now the traces of rising water are still there, making me scared every time I see them."

In Ta Ca commune, there are currently 4 locations with continued landslides and 1 location threatening landslides. For example, recently, the road from Binh Son 2 village, Ta Ca commune to Dong Duoi village, Tay Son commune, has experienced landslides on traffic roads and houses of people, affecting 6 households with 25 people. Or along the road from the welcome gate of Hoa Son village to the road to the production area of ​​Hoa Son village, the traffic roads and 12 houses of people have also been damaged and cracked and need to be relocated to another safe location.

Secretary of the Party Committee of Huoi Tu Commune, Denh Ba Long, said that in the commune, there are currently 12 households with 61 people whose houses are at risk of collapse when the rainy season comes. Specifically, that is the location at the end of the road from the Central Village of Huoi Tu Commune to Muong Long. Here, on the top of the mountain, a fairly deep crack has appeared running along the top. The houses of 12 households are located on the mountainside right below the crack, and every year for the past few years, the land has been sliding down, sinking several dozen centimeters. Currently, 2 households have moved to other places. The remaining households have not found land to live, so they are still clinging on, but are worried and restless. In the long run, if they continue to stay here, it will be very dangerous" - Mr. Denh Ba Long said.

Many other residential areas in Ky Son are also threatened when they are located on the route of landslides and slope erosion, such as: 17 households with 91 people in Son Ha village, Ta Ca commune and 94 households with 455 people in Huoi Giang 3 village on the Muong Xen - Tay Son route; 13 households with 62 people in Ba village and Huoi Tho village, Huu Kiem commune; 7 locations threatened with slope and slope erosion in Na Loi commune...

Monitor and proactively develop response plans

According to statistics from the People's Committee of Ky Son district, as of June 2024, the district had 20 locations where landslides had occurred and 13 other locations threatened with landslides; 7 locations with riverbank landslides and 2 locations threatened with riverbank landslides. The People's Committee of Ky Son district, together with the authorities of communes and towns, has developed plans to monitor, respond and gradually overcome the consequences.

For example, at the landslide sites in Muong Tip commune, the district People's Committee has placed warning signs at sites without people's houses and instructed the commune and village authorities to prepare plans to evacuate people in case of heavy rain and risk of landslides. At the same time, they are still continuing to clear rocks and soil, and clear ditches at the landslide sites. For the two riverbank sites that have collapsed in Na My and Xop Tip villages, affecting 47 households and 185 people, they are currently building embankments to prevent landslides and are ready to evacuate people in case of heavy rain.

In addition to households, many public works such as headquarters and schools of Ky Son are also threatened when the flood season comes, including an existing commune police headquarters (Ta Ca); Tien Tieu Kindergarten and Primary School, Nam Can commune with 7 classrooms (7 teachers, 59 students) need to be relocated. However, the district currently has no effective solution due to lack of funding and land fund to implement.

Mr. Tho Ba Re - Vice Chairman of Ky Son District People's Committee said, not only in Muong Tip commune, dozens of landslides and landslide threats in the district have been counted, reported to superiors, and at the same time directed regular monitoring and response plans. In particular, the forces and authorities at the commune and village levels are required to grasp weather information, monitor developments at vulnerable locations to report and handle promptly. Along with that, the district also uses funding sources from programs and projects to gradually overcome landslides with the motto of prioritizing vulnerable locations, threatening major impacts, and speeding up construction progress before the rainy and stormy season arrives.