VietNamNet Bridge – With more and more construction constricting and speeding up the flow of HCM City's canals and rivers, eight more landslides have occurred on their banks this year alone, all at new spots, taking the all-time number to 45.

A house is collapsed due to land sliding in Thu Duc District, HCM City. With more and more construction constricting and speeding up the flow of the city's canals and rivers, eight more landslides have occurred on their banks this year alone, all at new spots, taking the all-time number to 45. — Photo vietbao.vn

The Domestic Waterway Management Department said they occurred in four spots in Cu Chi District and one each in districts 2, Thu Duc, Can Gio, and Nha Be.

Earlier this month in Thu Duc's Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward, 2,000sq.m of soil slid into the river taking along a couple and their three-year-old boy, who were luckily saved.

On July 9 around 400sq.m of land in Nhon Duc Commune, Nha Be, slid into the Muong Chuoi River. Earlier nearby Hiep Phuoc Commune lost 1,000sq.m and luckily 11 people living in two houses escaped without mishap.

Local authorities planned to move over 1,000 locals before the area is devastated by serious landslides. They have already put up warning boards for pedestrians and vehicles and plan to build a dyke to protect the land and ensure the safety of local residents.

In District 9, 40ha of land has disappeared in Long Phuoc and Long Binh wards since 2003, mostly because of illegal sand mining in rivers.

Recently a landslide occurred in Dua island in Long Truong Ward.

"It never used to happen like this before," Le Van Ngoi, a local resident, was quoted as saying by online newspaper VNExpress.net.

"[It is happening] only after strange boats appeared and took sand from the river. We are really worried and hope local authorities stop it."

Phuong, a resident of Truong Khanh Street in Long Phuoc Ward, said, "Many people have lost their property as their land slid into the river."

In the first four months of this year authorities fined and temporarily seized eight boats for illegal sand mining.

Dredging of the Dong Nai River as part of a project to maintain domestic waterways has also triggered off landslides and complaints from residents in District 9.

In mid-June the city People's Committee called a temporary halt to dredging in city sections and sought experts' and related authorities' opinions.

Besides the illegal sand mining, construction along canals and rivers is narrowing them and changing their flow, also causing landslides, a Department of Transport official said.

The city People's Committee has provided funds for the Domestic Waterway Management Department to carry out 12 works on a war footing to prevent landslides.

VNS