In order to help local people soon resume their normal life, on September 21-22, the Lao Cai provincial People’s Committee and the Vietnam Television held groundbreaking ceremonies for the new resettlement areas for people in Nu and Nam Tong villages. Corps 12 under the Ministry of National Defense is the construction unit.
Determined to rebuild villages after flood
    |
 |
|
The groundbreaking ceremony in Nu village, Phuc Khanh commune, Bao Yen district, Lao Cai province |
The road leading from Pho Rang townlet (Bao Yen district) to Nu village is about 20km long and there is mud and soil everywhere and many places still have warning signs of landslides. The new resettlement area is located on rose myrtle hill, with a total area of 18.5 hectares, about 2km away from the landslide site. Previously, Chairman of the Lao Cai provincial People’s Committee Trinh Xuan Truong and the Vietnam Association of Architects did a survey and selected the location. All Nu village people agreed to choose the location to build the new village.
Heavy rains and flood caused by the circulation of typhoon Yagi led to severe damage to many Northern localities, especially in Lao Cai. Although the rain and floods have passed, flood-hit people are facing many difficulties. Arriving at the new resettlement area of Nu village, we saw village manager Hoang Van Diep and local people joining hands with the local authority and construction unit to complete the site clearance work. According to Diep, in the first phase, the new village is 10 hectares in area, with 40 households. This is a long-term settlement area for villagers, meeting their needs in daily life and suitable with the culture and customs of local people.
The road to Nam Tong village was even more arduous. On the night of September 21, it rained heavily, making the road slippery. Along the way, there were more than a dozen of landslide sites. Due to the influence of the third storm, from September 7 to 11, Bac Ha district experienced downpours, causing heavy loss to people, property, and crops. In detail, the landslide in Nam Tong village left 18 dead and missing (currently 14 found; four still missing) and 11 injured.
The resettlement area for people in Nam Tong village is nearly 2km from the old one. It is situated on a high hill, covering an area of nearly four hectares, and can accommodate 70 households. Ly Seo Tho, a a resident in Nam Tong village who suffered the most loss after the recent flash flood, was deeply saddened and shocked. The flood swept away his wife and two children. He hopes that the new resettlement area for Nam Tong villagers will be soon completed so that people could return to normal life and build a new better life together.
Sharing the loss and difficulties of flood-hit people in Lao Cai province, Tam Long Viet (Vietnamese Heart) Fund of the Vietnam Television has provided the financial support for the construction of 42 projects in Nu village (40 houses, a community house and a kindergarten) and 17 projects in Nam Tong village (15 houses, a community house and a kindergarten). According to Le Ngoc Quang, General Director of Vietnam Television, it was a practical and meaningful deed. Over the past time, Tam Long Viet Fund has received a large number of donations from many benefactors at home and abroad. The fund will not only support people to rebuild the two residential areas, but also continue to accompany and help families, especially students, in the coming time, with the hope that they will soon stabilize and have a better life.
Good virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers brightened
Having received the news that the flashfloods swept away all households in Nu village and many households in Nam Tong village, troops of Military Region 2 immediately marched to the scene at night to promptly perform search and rescue missions. Currently, officers, soldiers and workers of Corps 12 have joined hands with benefactors, party committees and local authorities to rebuild Nu and Nam Tong villages.
As the construction unit, Corps 12 has mobilized personnel and vehicles to implement the construction of the sites. According to Senior Colonel Nguyen The Luc, Second-in-command of Corps 12, upholding the traditions of Truong Son soldiers, the unit has deployed experienced engineering troops and qualified vehicles and equipment for the mission. He also encouraged participating troops and workers to overcome difficulties and strive to complete the building of the resettlement areas for Nu and Nam Tong villagers before December 31, 2024, in accordance with the direction of the Prime Minister.
The hard times will pass, people in the two villages will have a better future. For flood-hit people, the sentiment of local people and people throughout the country is a great motivation for them to overcome hardships and have a better life. Soon, the two new resettlement areas for will be home to many households, and young grass will begin to grow. On the mountain slopes, the trees crashed by the floods will begin to turn green again, a new life is waiting for them ahead.
On the way back to Hanoi, there were many vehicles with aid for flood victims heading to the northern provinces. Nu and Nam Tong villages are being rebuilt and still face many difficulties and shortages. Therefore, the villagers need support of people across the country to soon stabilize their lives and build more prosperous villages.
Translated by Quynh Oanh