VietNamNet Bridge – Thousands of households living on the Ngan Sau riverbanks in Huong Khe district of Ha Tinh have been living in constant anxiety as they fear that villages may be swept away by floods from the river.

Tran Xuan Ly, chair of Huong Trach commune People’s Committee, said the river has been step by step “swallowing” villages for years.

“Hundreds of square meters of agriculture land, gardens, orchids, ancient trees and houses have been swept away by the floods,” he said.

“Huong Trach is the most seriously stricken locality with three kilometers of riverbank having suffered landslides,” Ly said.

“Seven hamlets and 1,200 households have been affected by floods. We have lost more than one hectare of agricultural land,” he added.

Cao Thien Kim, a resident of Ngoc Boi Hamlet in Huong Trach Commune, said two-thirds of his garden had been swallowed by the river.

However, Kim said he was luckier than his neighbor, Nguyen Thi Huong, who had her house and pomelo garden swept away in the 2013 flooding season.

“Six families had to leave their home village,” he said.

According to Ly, since the Ho Ho hydropower plant became operational in 2007, the river current has changed.

In the dry season, the river becomes depleted as the power plant stores water for generating electricity.

In the rainy season, severe floods and water discharged from the power plant cause “the deluge” and create powerful river currents.

Phan Thi Minh, 86, of Loc Yen commune, said floods rush in the locality every year, but this year’s landslide is the most serious so far. “We have lost 2 sao (1 sao = 360 square meters) of garden,” she complained.

According to Nguyen Van Hung, deputy chair of Loc Yen Commune People’s Committee, the commune has lost three hectares of agricultural land since 2012, about 1.2 hectares of garden, while seven to eight households are in danger, and may have to evacuate.

While the risks are visible, the local authorities still do not know how to settle the problems. Deputy chair of Huong Khe district Ngo Xuan Ninh said in order to protect locals’ lives and assets, it is necessary to build solid embankments to prevent floods.

However, he admitted that the local authorities cannot arrange capital for the embankment project, and that they need support from the provincial authorities.

What the local authorities can do now is plan the evacuation of the households in danger. He said it is necessary to take drastic measures to protect the watershed forests and vegetation and ease the river current speed during the floods.

Dan Viet