Finding solutions to overcome landslides on Ban Mong Irrigation Project

(Baonghean) - Resolutely resolving site clearance issues; promptly overcoming landslides on drainage canals and encroachment on forestry land after land compensation, are the directions of comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee during his working trip to the Ban Mong Reservoir project in mid-April.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee directed the site clearance work at the headworks of the Mong Village Reservoir Project. Photo: Xuan Hoang

The project has 4 construction components: headworks; pumping stations to take water from Hieu River and canal system, works on the canal; hydroelectric works and resettlement compensation component. Up to now, all 4 components are being accelerated by contractors, some components have completed over 90% of the work volume. However, during the construction process, contractors encountered many difficulties. In particular, the biggest obstacle is the slow local site clearance work, which greatly affects the construction progress.

The report of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shows that: There are still problems with land acquisition at the reservoir, the focal point of the project. In the past, all levels, sectors and localities have handed over more than 135 hectares of various types of land of 220 households in the focal point of the diversion canal to the construction contractor. However, there are still nearly 44,000 square meters of forestry land of 3 households in Yen Hop commune (Quy Hop) that have not been handed over, including: Mr. Dinh Viet Minh's household, Mr. Tran Van Binh's household and Mr. Pham Xuan Nhan's household. Although in the past, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district and Yen Hop commune to organize many meetings, dialogues and mobilizations, but the households have not agreed...

After conducting field inspections and working with relevant parties, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong directed Quy Hop district to continue to persuade these households to accept the site clearance from now until the end of April; if the households still deliberately refuse to accept, the locality will be allowed to enforce according to the Notice dated March 5 of the Quy Hop District People's Committee; the time for persuasion is until the end of April, if forced, the deadline is May 5 at the latest. For households that re-encroach on forestry land that the locality has compensated for site clearance and now plant acacia, Quy Hop District People's Committee will reclaim the entire land area without compensation and hand it over to the contractor before April 30.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also assigned the People's Committee of Quy Chau district to coordinate with the Project Management Board and contractors to urgently carry out the work of counting, preparing and approving compensation plans for areas related to additional and arising items, such as the bridge project on National Highway 48, waste disposal routes, power lines, etc. to be completed before April 30. The construction of the resettlement area interspersed in Quy Chau district, invested by the People's Committee of Quy Chau district, must urgently carry out the next steps to deploy construction, meeting the requirements on resettlement and site clearance for construction.

The headworks of the Ban Mong Reservoir Project have stopped construction due to 3 households refusing to accept land compensation. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Also during the working trip, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee promptly directed the remediation of the landslide on the Chau Binh drainage canal under package No. 14, constructed by Corporation 36, implemented since 2014, and has now completed 93% of the project volume.

Through actual inspection, it was found that many of the above points had serious landslides, which could affect people's lives. Colonel Nguyen Thanh Giang - Deputy Director of General Company 36, who directly carried out the construction, said: Chau Binh irrigation canal was built according to design, as it is a dug canal so the surface of the roof was not 100% treated. The landslide has occurred since July 2015, the General Company has reported it to the investor many times, many meetings have taken place but there is no solution yet.

The cause of the landslide was due to the groundwater level. We request that the investor, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ban Mong Project Management Board, soon come up with a solution so that the contractor can hand over the project on schedule by December 31 this year.

The canal connecting Chau Binh Lake and Ban Mong irrigation system was eroded, significantly affecting some households. Photo by Van Truong.

Explaining the above issue, Mr. Hoang Nghia Hieu - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: The phenomenon of landslides at some locations of the drainage canal is quite large. Currently, the investor, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, is requesting the consulting contractor to develop a design plan to estimate the damage to send to the insurance agency for appraisal and agreement on the damage repair and repair of the landslide locations before handing over the project for use in 2017 to ensure quality.

For items that the contractor has completed but not yet accepted, and landslides occur, the contractor must pay for the work to be redone. For areas where the canal roof is paved with concrete according to the design and is cracked, broken, or damaged, the investor will not accept the project.

Regarding this content, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong assigned the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, as the investor, to direct the Ban Mong Project Management Board to work with the insurance company, consulting and construction contractors to carry out the repair of the slope landslide on the Chau Binh drainage canal in accordance with regulations, with long-term technical and safety solutions. Require contractors to ensure the construction of the project is technically correct and in accordance with the design.

In the coming time, legal procedures will be carried out to construct the bridge on the canal; contractors need to focus on all technical means and take advantage of favorable weather to speed up the construction progress. Investors, district People's Committees, and sectors are requested to coordinate to remove immediate difficulties.

Xuan Hoang

Also during the working trip, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee promptly directed the remediation of the landslide on the Chau Binh drainage canal under package No. 14, constructed by Corporation 36, implemented since 2014, and has now completed 93% of the project volume.

Through actual inspection, it was found that many of the above points had serious landslides, which could affect people's lives. Colonel Nguyen Thanh Giang - Deputy Director of General Company 36, who directly carried out the construction, said: Chau Binh irrigation canal was built according to design, as it is a dug canal so the surface of the roof was not 100% treated. The landslide has occurred since July 2015, the General Company has reported it to the investor many times, many meetings have taken place but there is no solution yet.

The cause of the landslide was due to the groundwater level. We request that the investor, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ban Mong Project Management Board, soon come up with a solution so that the contractor can hand over the project on schedule by December 31 this year.