eatN SLEEP NOTHING
In the rainy season, Van Ca Vai mountain often has landslides, damaging people’s houses. However, due to difficult economic conditions, the households here have not been able to move to other places. Currently, a sign warning of the risk of mountain landslides is still planted at the foot of the mountain. Households who are in a situation of not being able to go but stay are always in a state of anxiety and worry.
Households living at the foot of Van Ca Vai mountain are worried about the risk of landslides
Behind Ms. Dinh Thi Theo’s house (in the village of Lang Dau) there is still a large amount of rock and soil after the landslide in the rainy season in 2022. This landslide has destroyed part of her family’s house, but due to lack of money, it has not been repaired. The worry is even greater when this year’s rainy season is approaching, but her family and other households in the area still have to live at the foot of the mountain. “Now I don’t know where to run anymore because I don’t have a home and no land. The rainy season is coming, and I have a small child, so the whole family can’t sleep well,” worried Mrs. Theo.
Pointing to the top of Van Ca Vai mountain, Mr. Dinh Ang (also from Lang Dau residential group) said that the landslide has seriously affected the lives of his family and neighboring households. Before that, in the rainy season in 2021, mountain landslides cracked the base of the wall, collapsing his family’s cattle barn. By December 2022, after heavy rain, the mountain continued to be strongly eroded, and rocks fell from above, destroying all auxiliary works, including the family’s kitchen, bathroom, and toilet. Mr. Ang added: “The landslide also caused a long crack in the side wall of my main house. If I move to a new place, my family will not have productive land and money to build a house. If I stay, my whole family always has to live in insecurity.”
Mountain landslide in 2022 collapses part of houses
STEMPORARY HANDLING COMPLIANCE
Lang Dau residential group has 7 households with 21 people. In the face of continuous mountain landslides threatening the lives of people here, the government of Son Ha has organized leveling and temporary overcoming of the risk of landslides and slides from the top of the mountain. However, new landslides in Van Ca Vai mountain still have the risk of continuing to happen. Currently, there is no plan to relocate these households to resettlement places or invest in a solid anti-slide construction to stabilize, so people are very worried.
Mr. Duong Dinh Cuong, Vice Chairman of TT.Di Lang People’s Committee, said that in the town, there are 3 areas with high risk of landslides: residential area of Bo village, Gu hill and Van Ca Vai mountain. Every year in the rainy season, local authorities have to relocate people to shelter in schools or community cultural houses. “Currently, Gu hill and Van Ca Vai mountain have been invested in leveling, setting aside the mountain to temporarily overcome, but the landslide situation is still complicated, not ensuring the safety of people. The town has not yet been invested in a resettlement area, so there is no place to relocate people,” said Mr. Cuong.
Meanwhile, talking to PV Youth Regarding this issue, Ms. Dinh Thi Tra, Chairwoman of H.Son Ha People’s Committee, said that the landslide point in Van Ca Vai mountain has been overcome. As for the fact that people say that there is a risk of landslides in the coming rainy season, the local government will check again and provide information later.