Sleepless night

In the middle of the night, flashlights and motorbike lights flickered along the Dau Han dike (Kinh Bac ward); the sound of shovels and sandbags hitting each other, people shouting "Hurry up!", mixed with the sound of the surging Cau river water. A "white night" began - a night of people who, regardless of wind and rain, worked together to protect the dike, to protect the peace of the village.

People in Dau Han neighborhood worked all night to shovel sand to raise the dike level.

Keep the dike, keep your home

At 10:00 p.m. on October 8, the Cau River water rose close to the dike in Dau Han neighborhood.   Regardless of the time of day or night, hundreds of people, young and old, men, women, and children, are still on duty, some holding shovels, others preparing sacks of sand to raise the dike to prevent floods.

The Dau Han dike became a large construction site, where there were no complaints of fatigue, no refusals, only cheerful laughter along the dike. Several elders in the area wearing thin raincoats were also present to encourage their children and grandchildren: "As long as you have strength, you must go to the dike to protect your home!"

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh, a resident of the neighborhood and currently a worker at Van Trung Industrial Park, shared: "I came home from work at 5 p.m. and heard that the local authorities were mobilizing manpower to build the dike. Forgetting all the fatigue after a day of work, I joined everyone in shoveling soil and tying anti-overflow bags."

Three sand trucks had just gathered, hundreds of people "joined in", each doing their own work: scooping sand, packing it, tying ropes, passing it around... after only 20 minutes, the sandbags were neatly lined up at the edge of the dike. Everyone had a break to wait for the next sand truck.

Quickly wiping away the sweat rolling down her cheeks, Ms. Hoang Thi Tram, a woman in Dau Han neighborhood, her face covered in mud but still smiling: "My whole family of four went up to the dike to shovel sand, tonight everyone becomes family."

A group of young people from Vu Ninh ward, led by Tran Manh Cuong, drove to help when they heard about the rising water. “When people called, we couldn’t sit still. The water was cold, but everyone was anxious,” Cuong said, passing around sandbags, sweat and rainwater.

On the sand gathering dike, the faces of the 2K1 male students were covered in dirt and sand from two sleepless nights, but their bright smiles and optimistic spirit brightened the autumn night.

Officers and soldiers of Brigade 673, Army Corps 12 support flood prevention at Dau Han dike.

From the military units, 120 officers and soldiers of Brigade 673, Army Corps 12 quickly arrived. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ly Van Thanh - Deputy Brigade Commander, Chief of Staff of the Brigade, hundreds of soldiers held shovels in their hands, shouldered sandbags, coordinated with militia, police, and ward union members. "We consider this a real battle - the only difference is that this time the enemy is flood water" - Lieutenant Colonel Thanh said briefly, then joined the line of people passing sand.

On duty on the dike since early afternoon, Lieutenant Colonel Dang Thanh Phong - Head of Kinh Bac Ward Police directly directed more than 100 officers and soldiers of the Ward Police and the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department, both directing traffic and supporting the transportation of materials. Trucks carrying sand, gravel, and rocks lined up along the dike, their headlights illuminating the entire white water area.

Along the dike, many middle-aged women with trembling hands held lamps, lighting the way for the excavating team. A few children sat huddled next to sandbags, waiting for their mothers to finish their work. In another corner, soldiers of Brigade 673 took a sip of water, wiped their sweat, and then returned to work. The sound of excavators, shouts, and rain mixed together to create a “symphony” of a sleepless night.

Party's will is in harmony with the army and people's will

Standing on the dike, his pants covered in mud, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tau, Head of Dau Han Ward, shared: "From the afternoon of October 7 until now, all 400 households in the ward have temporarily put aside their housework to participate in preventing the flood. As of 10:00 p.m. on October 8, the flood-prevention level of the dike has been reinforced to be 0.20 - 0.25 m higher than the forecast flood peak on the Cau River at Dap Cau."

The night gradually turned to morning, but the sound of sand trucks of An Binh Company Ltd. still resounded regularly on the slippery, bumpy dike road. From early afternoon until night, the company had transported more than 1,500 cubic meters of sand, ensuring that the entire dike was reinforced in time. At the same time, dozens of generous donors (including non-locals) brought bread, milk, drinking water... to support the task force.

Typically, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phich's family supported and provided funds to buy bread, drinking water, and sandbag ties; Mrs. Nguyen Thi Binh's family supported 10 million VND to buy gloves and sandbag ties to reinforce the dike. There were even people from other wards who brought bread, drinking water, milk boxes, etc. to support the on-duty forces. The most precious thing is the spirit of the people - before they could call, someone came, before they could ask, someone brought supplies themselves. That love is the real 'dike wall'.

The Dau Han dike shines brightly in the middle of the flood night.

Present on the Dau Han dike line since early afternoon, Vice Chairman of Kinh Bac Ward People's Committee Nguyen Van Hieu said that, in response to the flood situation on the river, from 1:30 p.m. on October 8, the Defense Command of Area 4, the Provincial Military Command and the Civil Defense Command of Kinh Bac Ward mobilized 100 officers, soldiers and militia to support the people of Dau Han quarter in raising the flood-proof level of the dike line.

In the darkness of the night, beside the flood of the Cau River, which continued to rise, comrade Ta Dang Doan, member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and Secretary of the Ward Party Committee, looked along the dike and said in a low voice: “This is the strength of the people, the unity of the government, the army and the people. There is no command greater than that spirit. We know that, although there are many difficulties ahead, tonight, Kinh Bac has firmly overcome the flood.”

When the clock struck 11pm, nearly 2.5km of dike had been raised by nearly 1m, the weak dike section was basically reinforced. We left the Dau Han dike, but there, hundreds of people in the neighborhood and the functional forces were still working hard, watching the water, always ready to protect their homeland and country. Under the shimmering headlights, muddy faces lit up with relieved smiles. Although the sand was still everywhere, pride and humanity were shining brightly. A white night passed, leaving behind a beautiful story amidst the fierce flood, humanity shining brightly, as persistent as the Cau River flowing forever.

Notes of Thai Uyen - Duong Hoan

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/ban-giao-huong-cua-mot-dem-khong-ngu-postid428411.bbg