AnGiang (VNA) – Fourteen houses and two house floors in My Hoi DongCommune, Cho Moi district, the Mekong Delta province of An Giang fell into theHau River due to riverbank erosion on April 22.

Aroad connecting My Hoi Dong commune and Nhon My commune was also damaged andisolated. The 70-metre long eroded section caused estimated total damages of 8.8billion VND (391,000 USD). There have been no deaths.

Theprovincial People’s Council issued a state of emergency in the affected areaalong the river.

TruongTrung Lap, Chairman of Cho Moi district People’s Committee said that localforces have been mobilised round the clock to ensure traffic order and evacuateresidents and their property out of the dangerous area.

TheA My Hoi Dong primary school announced it would close on April 24 -25. Analternative road to replace the damaged road is set to be built. The districtwill also provide land for the affected households to resettle down in a newresidential area, Lap said.

Accordingto Lam Quang Thi, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, localauthorities allocated nearly 3 billion VND (133,300 USD) to the householdswhose houses were damages or at risk from riverbank erosion.

Fortymillion VND (1,760 USD) was provided for each of the 16 households whose houseshave been washed away, and 42 others that are highly vulnerable to land erosionwere evacuated.

Theprovincial Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the provincial chapterof the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour alsoprovided 78 million VND (3,400 USD), and mobilised financial and giftassistance worth 180 million VND (7,900 USD) for the affected 16 households.The Cho Moi district Red Cross Chapter gave 30 kg of rice and one watercontainer to each of the vulnerable households

Secretaryof the provincial Party Committee Vo Thi Anh Xuan urged the provincial People’sCommittee and Cho Moi district to relocate residents from risky area.

Thedistrict People’s Committee will devises measures to ensure school continuityfor local students. Chapters of the Vietnam Fatherland Front at all levels willwork with local authorities to support affected people.

Forthe long term, the provincial People’s Committee and Construction Departmentare in charge of helping the affected people find new accommodation.

Theprovincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible forselecting consultants to propose measures to address the erosion.

Accordingto the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, about 260mof river bank is at high risk of erosion.

Thedepartment proposed dismantling houses constructed on the river bank to reduceweight on the land. – VNA