New houses have been built for people in Tra Leng commune, Quang Nam province (Photo: VNA) LastOctober, during a time when the central region was suffering fromsuccessive storms and historic flooding, a severe landslide hit the remotemountainous area of Tra Leng, burying their houses and killing a dozen of theirfamily members and neighbours.
Atthat time, roads to the commune were blocked with rocks, stones and thicklayers of mud. Bridges and dams were swept away by strong floodwaters. Localpeople desperately looked at what was left after the landslide. They lost theirhouses, their crops and worst of all, their family members and neighbours.
Thoseleft behind feared for their future. Now, their pain has been partlyrelieved and smiles can be seen again on their faces as a new resettlement areawith new houses has been built for them, not far from the old village.
In theplace where they used to live, lines of solar-powered lights wereinstalled. Bridges have been rebuilt. Children are excited about living innew houses and studying in new schools.
Ona visit to Quang Nam Province soon after the landslide, Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc ordered support to people living in landslide-hit areas so thatno one would be homeless or hungry and so diseases wouldn't emerge after thenatural disaster.
ThePM urged measures to quickly stabilise life and production for the people.
Secretaryof the Nam Tra My District Party Committee Le Thanh Hung said people in TraLeng Commune could soon recover from the severe natural disaster thanks togreat and timely support from agencies, organisations and people acrossthe country.
Severestorms, floods and landslides hit the district last October, claiming 19deaths, leaving 13 people missing and causing severe injuries to 33 others. In TraLeng Commune alone, the natural disaster killed 13 people, injured 20 peopleand 13 people are still missing, he said.
Asmany as 95 houses were buried by landslides or swept away by floodwaters, Hungsaid, let alone damage to infrastructure, schools, healthcare centres andcrops.
PhanQuoc Cuong, Chairman of the Tra Leng Commune People’s Committee, said thelocalities had been making efforts to search for missing people and create newstable accommodations and livelihoods for people affected by natural disasters.
OnDecember 22, the construction of a new resettlement area was started bythe government of Nam Tra My District to help the landslide victims.
Localauthorities conducted a survey and chose a land plot with an area of 6ha forresettlement.
Thisland plot was donated by people in Tra Don Commune.
Localpeople and authorities in Tra Don Commune agreed to donate 6ha of their land tovictims in Tra Leng Commune to build a resettlement area.
Fifty-onehouseholds affected by landslides in Tra Leng Commune received 150 million VNDfrom the Government and other donors to build new homes.
Thelocal authorities also sped up the construction of basic infrastructure –power and clean water supply systems, a community house, preschool and roads –as well as restored cultivation areas so that farming could be resumed soon.
Officialsand soldiers of Military Zone V donated 3 billion VND to help Tra Leng peoplebuild a new community house which would be used as a shelter duringbig storms.
NguyenDuc Xuan, director of An Xuan Phat One member Ltd Company – the resettlementproject constructor – said the company donated more than 20 million VND to eachfamily to complete their houses with the design featuring typical traditionalhouse of the Mo Nong people.
Meanwhile,Vietnam Electricity donated 3 billion VND to build a preschool. TheMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development donated 30 solar lighting setsand six tonnes of sticky rice for residents to have during Tet. The ministry also installed anautomatic rainfall measuring system to deliver timely warnings aboutabnormal heavy rains.
HoVan De, a village elder in Tra Leng Commune, said eight of his familymembers died or went missing due to the terrible landslide on October 28, 2020.
“Thelosses to my family and my whole village always seem to be unbearablepain to us,” he said.
“However,after the natural disaster, thanks to support from the Party, State andGovernment agencies, organisations and individuals, we know that we were notalone,” he said.
“Wewere not left hungry or cold. We have a new hope to start a better life,” hesaid.
“Wewill have a Tet (Lunar NewYear) celebration in new houses. That makes us so happy,” De said./.
VNA
