Vietnam Institute of Water Resources went to Bac Ninh to "investigate" the cause of the subsidence of 6 houses along Cau River.

Talking to Dan Viet reporter on the morning of April 8 about the incident of 6 houses sinking into Cau River at night, Mr. Dang Thanh Ngan - Vice Chairman of Van An Ward People's Committee said that in early March 2024, people in Van Phuc area reported to Van An Ward People's Committee about the situation of cracks in the Cau River dike area under the ward's management, and immediately after that, the authorities intervened to grasp the situation.

Viện Khoa học Thủy lợi Việt Nam về Bắc Ninh — Six houses in Van Phuc ward, Bac Ninh city, Bac Ninh province have collapsed into Cau river, causing great property damage. Photo: V.G

"We have inspected and reported to the People's Committee of Bac Ninh city and the locality to deploy measures to ensure safety for people and property" - Mr. Ngan said and informed that through checking the Cau River dike area in the ward, there are more than 20 households that could be directly affected and are in the landslide danger area in the Cau River dike area.

Regarding the cause of the landslide, Mr. Dang Thanh Ngan said that the landslide area of Van Phuc area is a curved, winding riverbank. "Because of the strong water flow for many years and our area is the eroded side, large boats and vehicles also have an impact, gradually affecting the residential buildings" - Mr. Thanh commented.

In terms of local State management, Mr. Dam Phuong Bac - Head of the Irrigation Sub-Department of Bac Ninh province (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Ninh province) pointed out that there are 4 main causes of landslides: First, due to the flow, the main stream is pressed to which side, that side will be affected; Second, due to weak geology; Third, due to the shape of the curved river and Fourth, due to human encroachment.

Referring to the specific cause of the subsidence of 6 houses in Van An ward, Bac Ninh city, Bac Ninh province into Cau river, Mr. Dam Phuong Bac informed that on the morning of April 8, the Director of the Vietnam Institute of Water Resources and a number of leading experts in the field personally came to inspect the scene.

"Tomorrow afternoon, April 9, the Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee will hold a meeting to give a preliminary report. After that, you must conduct surveys, measurements, and calculations to come up with a solution that is technically correct and can correct the entire section. For now, the Irrigation Department proposes that Bac Ninh City dismantle all the houses that have subsided to reduce the load," said Mr. Bac.

According to the latest assessment from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Ninh province and the People's Committee of Bac Ninh city, the current riverbank landslide incident from K49+750 to K49+800 of the right dike of Cau, Van An ward, Bac Ninh city is showing a strong tendency to develop, endangering people's lives, property and the safety of the dike in this area.

To urgently propose effective solutions to handle the above incident, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province will hold a meeting to discuss solutions on the afternoon of April 9, including requesting the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to briefly report on the incident situation and the tasks that have been implemented; propose feasible solutions to handle the incident; report on proposed solutions to prevent riverbank erosion from K49+750 to K49+800 on the right dike of Cau, Van An ward.

At the meeting, the People's Committee of Bac Ninh city will report on the tasks that have been implemented, assess the current population situation in the area; propose solutions for compensation, site clearance, migration and resettlement in areas at risk (clearly stating progress and implementation time); review and count boats anchored and living in the area, propose handling and clearance measures.

Must dismantle, relocate and resettle affected households

According to Mr. Bac, to limit the subsidence, the authorities need to count and then evacuate all households, including those that have not yet been affected by landslides but are at risk of landslides, they must also be demolished. "Certainly, the plan proposed here must also relocate and resettle people to have a fundamental and long-term solution, otherwise petty solutions will not be able to solve the problem" - Mr. Bac added.

Currently, households whose houses have collapsed or are at risk of collapsing have been temporarily accommodated at the Van Phuc Cultural House or with their relatives. From April 15, the People's Committee of Van Phuc Ward will arrange a long-term evacuation site for households affected by the riverbank landslide to the old Van An Kindergarten campus to stay while waiting for the authorities to find the cause and come up with a solution.

Previously, the residential area outside the riverbank in Van An ward, Bac Ninh city, corresponding to K49+300, had a serious riverbank landslide incident, threatening the safety of people's lives and property in the area, affecting the safety of the dike.

Regarding this incident, in Official Dispatch No. 7898/BNN-DD sent to the People's Committee of Bac Giang province dated November 1, 2023 regarding the request to inspect and handle violations of the law on dykes in the Cau River area in Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province, the leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requested the People's Committee of Bac Giang province to urgently organize inspections to clarify, resolutely prevent and handle violations, including dismantling and clearing works, materials, and waste encroaching on the river to ensure the river's flood drainage space.

"Through actual inspection, on the left bank of Cau River (opposite to the incident area) is a residential area in Van Ha commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province, where there is a situation of dumping of scrap, garbage, construction of works, houses encroaching on the river, narrowing the channel, changing the flow regime of the river (which may be one of the causes of instability of the river bank in Bac Ninh province)" - the document of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development clearly stated.

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