Severe erosion at the riverbank is putting the lives of hundred households in Nha Trang City at risk while local authorities lack money to comprehensively tackle the problem.

In Vinh Ngoc Commune, landslides and erosion have encroached upon some 20m of land, forcing some households to move to other places. 

The most serious case is the riverbank along Cai River in four communes in Nha Trang City, a well-known resort city in south-central Viet Nam.

According to estimates by the Khanh Hoa provincial authority, the erosion has affected 150 houses in which 600 people reside in Vinh Thanh Commune and more than 250 houses inhabited by 1,000 people in Vinh Trung, Vĩnh Phuong and Vinh Ngoc Communes.

Years ago, people living in these areas planted bamboo trees to protect the riverbank. However, rows of trees have fallen and been swept away by the water due to landslides and erosion.

The house of Vo Thi Cuc, 62, a resident of Vĩnh Phuong Commune, used to be 20m away from the riverbank, but now the distance has reduced to 10m.

Cuc said that whenever the water level rises, part of the riverbank is submerged, resulting in the bamboo trees collapsing en mass.

“We are very worried, but we don’t know where to relocate because of financial difficulties,” Cuc said.

Phan Tran Nghi, vice chairman of Vĩnh Ngoc Commune’s People’s Committee, said landslides and erosion had encroached upon some 20m of land, forcing some households to move to other places.

At some areas where breakwaters were built, such as at the foot of Vĩnh Phuong Bridge and in Vĩnh Ngoc Commune, erosion still occurred and had damaged the breakwaters.

Meanwhile, Khanh Hoa Province is continuing to build breakwaters at spots where serious erosion and landslides occur. However, the province is facing financial difficulties to execute this work and to repair the damaged breakwaters.

The province has asked the central government for financial support of VNĐ150 billion (US$6.7 million) to build more breakwaters along the river.

A representative of Khanh Hoa Irrigation Branch said building a system of breakwaters is an urgent requirement to protect people’s safety. However, measures should also be taken to stop sand dredging in the river, which has been taking place for many years and was a reason for the landslides and erosion, he added. 

VNS