Why have many households in Que Phong not moved to Pu Sai Cang resettlement area?
Pu Sai Cang resettlement area was completed and handed over to the locality in June 2024, but until now, many families out of 33 households in the area at risk of flash floods and landslides of Muong Phu and Muong Piet villages, Thong Thu border commune (Que Phong) are still "entrenched" in their old residence.
"Defending" by the river god's mouth
On September 17, we were present at the Pu Sai Cang resettlement area of Thong Thu border commune, Que Phong district. Both resettlement sites have completed the ground leveling, built infrastructure for electricity, roads, water, etc. and handed over to the local authorities to relocate people to live there. However, at this time, only 2 households are transporting construction materials and building house foundations, while most of the area in both resettlement sites is left vacant.
Mr. Ha Van Hung is arranging construction materials, preparing to welcome workers to build a house, said that his family lives in Muong Piet village, next to Nam Piet stream, and is in the area of emergency evacuation to avoid flash floods. After the resettlement area was completed, last July, the commune mobilized households to draw lots to receive plots of land to build houses, and his family drew lot number 09. Having received the resettlement land, the family decided to build a house to stabilize their lives.
With the support of 50 million VND from the State, my family and I borrowed 100 million VND from the Social Policy Bank to build a house. 5 days ago, the construction team finished the foundation of the house, which is 65m wide.2and the family transports bricks, sand, gravel..., in a few days will start building the wall, striving to complete the house so the whole family can move in next October. For a long time living in the old place, every time the rainy season comes, there is a constant fear of flash floods.
Mr. Ha Van Hung in Thong Thu commune (Que Phong)
Next to that, Mr. Quang Van Dien's household has also finished the foundation of the house and continues to transport materials, preparing to build a new house. Thus, Pu Sai Cang resettlement area up to this point has only 2 households coming to build houses, after drawing lots to receive plots of land.
It is known that out of 33 households in Muong Phu and Muong Piet villages, Thong Thu commune, who are required to be relocated to the resettlement area, only 17 households have drawn lots to receive land plots, while 16 households have not yet drawn lots to receive resettlement land plots.
Coming to Muong Piet and Muong Phu villages, we can see dozens of houses of people living on both sides of National Highway 48, the negative slope close to the mouth of the river is Nam Piet stream, originating from Laos; the positive slope is a mountainous area, many points are at high risk of landslides.
Meeting Mr. Luong Van Nguyen - Head of Muong Phu village, who is also one of the households that has not yet drawn lots to receive a resettlement housing plot. Mr. Luong Van Nguyen said the reason for not drawing lots to receive a resettlement housing plot is because his family has lived here for many years, the house and ancillary works have been invested, if they move to the resettlement site, they will not have the conditions to rebuild from scratch. In addition, the family recently invested 48 million VND to build an anti-erosion embankment behind the house with concrete and steel, 3m higher than the water level of Nam Piet stream, so they feel more secure.
“Currently, the family is proposing to the local authorities to let them stay at their old place of residence. If the local authorities insist on relocating the people, the family will comply and move to the resettlement area, but they request the commune to allow the family to continue production on the old residential land. This is also the wish of the 8 households in the village who have not yet drawn lots to receive housing plots in the resettlement area,” Mr. Luong Van Nguyen shared.
For 15 households who have drawn lots to receive plots of land in the resettlement area, but have not yet built houses, the reason is known to be due to the circumstances of most of the families being poor, not having enough conditions to build houses, and at the same time, people avoid the 7th lunar month, when the 7th month ends, the weather is not favorable, with a lot of rain. This is the concern of the locality when the flood season is at its peak.
Put people's safety first
Talking to reporters, Mr. Luong Van Huan - Chairman of Thong Thu Commune People's Committee said: The locality has 33 households that must be urgently relocated due to being located in landslide and flash flood areas, and the list has been made many years ago, especially after the flood in 2018. After the Pu Sai Cang resettlement area was completed and handed over to the locality last June, the commune has propagated and mobilized households to draw lots to receive plots of land to build houses before the rainy season. However, up to this point, only 17 households have drawn lots to receive plots of land, of which 2 households are in the process of building houses, and 16 households have not yet drawn lots to receive resettlement plots. During the process of households moving to the resettlement site, they were all supported by local forces to dismantle and transport materials.
The locality's viewpoint is to resolutely relocate all 33 households to the new resettlement area, not allowing any households to live in an area unsafe due to natural disasters. Therefore, the request of households who have not drawn lots to receive resettlement plots, but stay in the old place is not accepted by the locality, because during the rainy season, natural disasters occur unpredictably. The locality will continue to propagate and mobilize households to move to new places.
Mr. Bui Van Hien - Vice Chairman of Que Phong District People's Committee said that the district's viewpoint is to put the safety of the people first. Therefore, the State's support for the construction of a resettlement project for the 33 households mentioned above is appropriate to the actual conditions of the locality with difficult land conditions and the danger of natural disasters in the area.
The old land is close to National Highway 48, convenient for trading and commerce; but very dangerous because of flash floods of Nam Piet stream and landslides in the slope. Therefore, the district's viewpoint is to propagate and mobilize to the maximum extent, so that people can move to a safer place. The request of the people is to keep the old land, but with 11m of National Highway 48 corridor, the remaining land of the households is very little, close to the stream edge, cannot be produced, the district's wish is that the households hand over the land to the commune for management.
The district's stance is to put the safety of the people first. In case households refuse to leave, when a natural disaster occurs, the local government will apply measures to force them to relocate...
Mr. Bui Van Hien - Vice Chairman of Que Phong District People's Committee
During the peak of the rainy and stormy season, flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas can occur at any time and anywhere. Therefore, whenever the local government has identified an unsafe area such as Thong Thu commune, people need to be aware and proactively evacuate to a safe place. At the same time, the local government also needs to step up propaganda and mobilization work, resolutely not allowing people to live in areas at risk of natural disasters.
On December 3, 2020, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Decision No. 4382/QD-UBND approving the Contractor Selection Plan for the Project of Relocating 33 households out of areas at risk of flash floods and dangerous landslides in Thong Thu commune. At the end of 2020, Que Phong district repaired and upgraded the Pu Sai Cang resettlement area to welcome 33 households to relocate here. The total approved investment is 14.9 billion VND. The total leveled area is 28,662 m2with main items such as roads, water supply system, lighting system... The project has been completed and put into use since June 10, 2024.
