River eats up houses in An Giang

A road connecting My Hoi Dong commune and Nhon My commune was also damaged and isolated. The 70-metre long eroded section caused estimated total damages of VND8.8 billion (US$391,000). There have been no deaths.

The provincial People’s Council issued a state of emergency in the affected area along the river.

Truong Trung Lap, Chairman of Cho Moi district People’s Committee said that local forces have been mobilised round the clock to ensure traffic order and evacuate residents and their property out of the dangerous area.

The A My Hoi Dong primary school announced it would close on April 24 -25. An alternative road to replace the damaged road is set to be built. The district will also provide land for the affected households to resettle down in a new residential area, Lap said.

According to Lam Quang Thi, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, local authorities allocated nearly VND3 billion (US$133,300) to the households whose houses were damages or at risk from riverbank erosion.

Forty million VND (US$1,760) was provided for each of the 16 households whose houses have been washed away, and 42 others that are highly vulnerable to land erosion were evacuated.

The provincial Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the provincial chapter of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour also provided VND78 million (US$3,400), and mobilised financial and gift assistance worth VND180 million (US$7,900) for the affected 16 households. The Cho Moi district Red Cross Chapter gave 30 kg of rice and one water container to each of the vulnerable households.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Vo Thi Anh Xuan urged the provincial People’s Committee and Cho Moi district to relocate residents from risky area.

The district People’s Committee will devises measures to ensure school continuity for local students. Chapters of the Vietnam Fatherland Front at all levels will work with local authorities to support affected people.

For the long term, the provincial People’s Committee and Construction Department are in charge of helping the affected people find new accommodation.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for selecting consultants to propose measures to address the erosion. 

According to the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, about 260m of river bank is at high risk of erosion.

The department proposed dismantling houses constructed on the river bank to reduce weight on the land.