Delta provinces ready for floods

Provincial authorities in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta have taken several measures to improve safety for people, crops and other properties during the 2012 flooding season.

An Giang Province has invested VND160 billion (US$7.65 million) in reinforcing its embankments and dredging irrigation networks to protect over 125,000 hectares under the autumn-winter rice crop and 24,000 hectares under other crops.

Rural road networks in the province have been repaired to ensure safety for people when traveling in the flood season.

The provincial steering committee for preventing and fighting natural disasters like floods and storms has evacuated residents from flood-prone areas to safety, strenthened shelters for children and set up rescue teams.

The An Giang People's Committee has asked the Government to provide VND300 billion ($14.3 million) to build and upgrade flood-fighting facilities.

Dong Thap Province has evacuated over 540 families residing in landslide-prone areas. However, other 1,200 households are still living in such areas in the province's Chau Thanh, Thanh Binh and Hong Ngu districts. Local authorities plan to evacuate them before the next flooding season.

In Thanh Binh District's Tan Binh Commune, 366 households need to be evacuated as soon as possible. Several other districts have said they do not have more land to resettle households affected by landslides.

More than 100 new landslide-prone points have been found along Tien and Hau rivers in Dong Thap since the last flood season.
In response, the Dong Thap People's Committee has asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide VND330 billion ($15.8 million) to develop five "flood-free clusters" for resettling residents.

Meanwhile, Head of the Hau Giang Rural Development Division Huynh Thanh Huu said the province had evacuated 179 households living in landslide-prone areas along rivers in Phung Hiep and Chau Thanh districts as well as Nga Bay Town.

Hau Giang still has about 1,500 households living in landslide prone areas. Due to a shortage of funds, families living in most dangerous areas would be the first to be evacuated, Huu said.

US$105 mln education project gets go-ahead

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has recently approved the second phase of a project to develop high school education.

The second phase has a total investment of US$105 million, of which US$90 million comes from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Education and Training to collect opinions from other ministries and relevant authorities to assess the feasibility of the project.

Dioxin ruled out as mystery disease cause

The mystery skin disease in the central province of Quang Ngai's Ba To District was not caused by dioxin, the Ministry of National Defence's Military Chemical and Environmental Institute said.

Tests on water and land samples from the areas which had the greatest number of patients showed chemical substances – including insecticides and metal – did not exceed regulated levels, institute director Dinh Ngoc Tan said.

Central Highlands to develop eco-tourism

The Dak Nong Central Highlands province plans to invest US$142.8 million to develop ecological tourism and traditional culture.

Under the eight-year plan, 20 areas connected with forest protection and culture will be developed, covering more than 30,000ha.

To achieve the goal, the province will use build-transfer and build-operate-transfer methods.

Over 7,400 walkers join Samsung Hope Relay in HCMC

The “Samsung Hope Relay” to promote the 2012 London Summer Olympics and raise funds for charity was held at the Phu My Hung urban centre in Ho Chi Minh City on June 17, attracting 7,400 people.

Samsung will contribute VND50,000 for every kilometer each person walks to the “Smart Library” programme, which encourages poor children in the suburbs of big cities to study.

Participants walked around major streets with a total length of 4km.

On June 21-26, Miss Vietnam World Ngo Phuong Lan and international chess grandmaster Le Quang Liem will represent Vietnam in an Olympic torch procession in Manchester, the UK, in the lead up to the upcoming London Games.

Liem and Lan are among more than 100 outstanding individuals from around the world invited to take part in the torch relay, under the sponsorship of Samsung.

VNN/VOV/VNS