Major clean water project launched in central region

Workers operate a clean water treatment system for residents in the flood-hit Le Thuy District in central Quang Binh Province. The Clean Water and Rural Environment Sanitation Centre has launched a clean water project in six central provinces. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngoc Chau

HA NOI — A project to provide clean water and improve rural sanitation in six central provinces was launched yesterday.

Le Thieu Son, director of the Clean Water and Rural Environment Sanitation Centre, said the project would supply clean water and improve sanitary conditions for 350,000 residents in 30 communes in six central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Nam and Binh Dinh.

These provinces, which are prone to natural disasters, have limited water resources and high levels of poverty.

Sixty-five per cent of the population in Thanh Hoa Province have access to clean water, while in Ha Tinh Province, it is 63.7 per cent.

The programme aims to raise people's awareness and understanding of clean water usage and sanitation, while increasing people's involvement in managing infrastructure projects, said Son.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Dao Xuan Hoc said the project will help farmers and provide a model for other localities to follow.

This is the largest clean water and rural sanitation project, which is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to be carried out in the country.

The US$50 million project will be implemented in six years. ADB's Official Development Capital will provide 90 per cent of funds for the project.

ADB representative Paul Van Klanveren, who is managing the project in Viet Nam, affirmed that the project would help improve farmers' lives and contribute to the country's sustainable, socio-economic development.

The centre's deputy director Nguyen Thanh Luan said that since the National Target Programme for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation was launched in 1999, the number of rural residents with access to clean water rose from 32 per cent to 83 per cent.

By the end of the year, officials hope that 70 per cent of rural households will have latrines, said Luan. — VNS

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South Central rains to continue

Floods wreak havoc in the Huong Son District of central Ha Tinh Province. National weather forecasters warn that heavy rain will continue in the South Central region. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan

HA NOI — Heavy rains are forecast to continue in south-central provinces, while local authorities and people are trying to surmount the consequences of floods that have hit the region over recent days.

Rainfall from Quang Tri to Binh Dinh Province over the past three days averaged 150-300mm, but reached 500mm and 740mm in some areas such as Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai.

Prolonged torrential rains of up to 982mm in mountainous Tra Bong District in Quang Ngai caused double floods and pushed water levels in local rivers beyond alarm level.

Most water reservoirs in the central region had begun discharging flood water. Ten of eleven reservoirs in Quang Ngai exceeded their overflow levels.

Director of the National Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre Bui Minh Tang said heavy rains would continue during the next few days,with storms tending to move southwards through the provinces of Quang Ngai to Phu Yen.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai instructed authorities of south-central provinces to stay alert to the progress of rains and floods to minimise losses to human life and property at an urgent online meeting with the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control and local authorities yesterday.

"Rains and floods are causing severe problems, particularly in highland areas where there are a limited number of rain measuring stations, so it is essential to keep a close watch, while maintaining a flow of reports on the progress of rainstorms and floods to prevent a loss of lives through carelessness," Hai said.

Localities should continue mobilising all available forces for rescue and relief work and to support flood victims and help local people overcome the consequences of the storms.

He required the national steering committee for flood and storm prevention and control to check and ensure the safety of reservoir systems and promptly respond to landslide-affected areas.

He noted that hydropower reservoirs needed to discharge floodwaters in line with regulations to avoid creating flooding in low-lying areas.

Torrential rains have triggered floods in south-central provinces over recent days, killing 12 people and leaving two missing.

More than 44,500 households and many roads and highways in the region have been submerged under 0.2-2m of floods.

Thua Thien-Hue authorities reported that the Ho Chi Minh Highway sections crossing A Roang and Hong Van communes which had been damaged by floods, reopened to traffic yesterday.

Police in Quang Nam have mobilised forces to guide local people travelling across submerged and landslide affected roads, as well as monitoring National Highway 1A for traffic jams.

According to the Trieu Thuong Commune People's Committee, Quang Tri Province, people in low-lying areas have been evacuated with their possessions to higher ground.

People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Dai Vui of Phong Dien District in Thua Thien-Hue said drawing on the experience from previous floods, the district had bought 40 tonnes of rice to supply people in isolated areas.

"Children and old people have already been relocated to higher ground to ensure their safety," he said.

More than 4,700 households with over 21,000 people in high risks areas have been evacuated to safe places in the region. — VNS

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Assistance needed to help flood-hit regions recover

HA NOI – One of the central roles of the political system at the moment would be to help central provinces quickly recover from the recent flooding, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the monthly Government meeting last Saturday.

He emphasised the need for environmental sanitation so that residents could return to their normal lives and production, and the repairing of infrastructure and schooling facilities to help local students return to their classes as soon as possible.

The PM called for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to work closely with relevant ministries, sectors and localities to continue implementing natural disaster prevention and mitigation measures.

He stressed the need to integrate these measures with socio-economic development plans; to build concrete houses to protect local people against flooding; strengthen flood defences; improve natural disaster forecasting and warnings; adjust production mechanisms; and invest in infrastructure to help local residents mitigate against damage caused by natural disasters.

According to MARD Minister Cao Duc Phat, the flooding has so far claimed 155 lives with 29 still missing and has caused a total loss of property worth VND11.6 trillion (US$580 million).

Areas remain isolated

Thousands of people in the central provinces of Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, and Quang Ngai are still isolated because of road collapses caused by the floods, and are facing a critical shortage of food and other basic necessities, local media reported.

In the Central Highland's province of Dak Lak, 3,000 families in Vu Bon Commune, located on the southern banks of the Krong Pak River, are in just this predicament. An estimated 10,000 people are facing acute food shortages and schools have remained closed.

In Khanh Hoa Province, four mountainous communes in the province's Khanh Son District are still isolated because of collapsed roads while residents in other parts of the province have already begun the clean up operation after the waters receded.

Roads leading to the districts of Thanh Son, Son Lam, Son Binh and Son Hiep in the province have not been repaired because of heavy damage. The Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper has reported that thousands of ethnic Raglai residents are facing critical shortages and lack other food necessities.

In Quang Ngai, around 20,000 people in the island district of Ly Son have had no access to the mainland for 10 days, cut off from food and basic necessities. Heavy seas have made it impossible for boats to travel to the island.

Local officials said that food was running out and the district authority plans to call for food drops. "If the strong wind continues until Wednesday, we will run out of food reserves and will have to call for help by helicopter, like in 1999," said Tran Ngoc Nguyen, chairman of the district People's Committee.

Dams wreak destruction

Several hydropower plants in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong warned people living downstream to move to higher ground after they discharged water from their reservoirs following heavy rains last week.

The rains that lasted from November 1 to 4 seriously threatened the safety of the Da Nhim Hydropower Plant in Don Duong district which released its maximum possible volume of 500 cubic metres per second.

"The loss caused by flooding and water released from the plant is estimated at VND22 billion (US$1.3 million)," Dinh Ngoc Hung, chairman of Don Duong District, said.

The dam was originally meant to have a discharge capacity of 4,500 m3 per second.

"Local authorities and people living downstream on the Da Nhim river have ignored warnings that they should not build houses or grow long-term crops along the river," Mai Nam Duong, deputy director of the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, told a meeting held last Thursday to discuss the situation. However, 50 years of unrestrained construction has restricted the water flow in the river.

Soon, other dams like Dai Ninh, Pro, Rlom, and Dong Nai 3 will also release water, worsening the flood situation.

Leader aids relief effort

On Saturday, Viet Nam Fatherland Front Chairman Huynh Dam paid a visit to the south-central provinces of Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan, which were hit hard by floods in early November, and handed aid relief to victims.

In Khanh Hoa, Dam offered his condolences to families who had lost loved ones in the floods and announced the Government was making available VND500 million (roughly US$25,500) from the central relief fund for the province.

He later granted another aid package of VND91 billion for flood victims in neighbouring Ninh Thuan Province which he also visited to present gifts to families of the dead.

On the same day, Ninh Thuan welcomed a convoy of trucks carrying supplies for flood victims in the worst hit Phuoc Nam Village, Thuan Nam District. The supplies included 13.5 tonnes of rice, VND100 million, 350 boxes of instant noodles and hundreds of clothing items and medicine worth VND100 million. — VNS

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Floods leave 21 dead or missing

Severe floods had left 21 dead and missing in the central provinces as of Oct. 17 while a tropical storm is forecast to hit East Sea on Oct. 18.

Most of the victims were swept away in flash floods while travelling in Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Thua Thien-Hue provinces, reported local authorities.

“The swift current and an immense sea of water on large area make it difficult for us to search for the missing,” said Nguyen Hong Ha, a local from Nghe An province’s Nghi Trung commune.

On Oct. 17, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked the Finance Ministry to immediately provide 100 million VND each to Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces following Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai’s decision.

The PM also requested that the National Reserves Department allocate 1,000 tonnes of rice to each of the two provinces for timely restoration of the aftermaths of the floods.

A working group of the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control on Oct. 16 made a tour of Ha Tinh province to provide guidance on coping with the natural disasters.

Vietnam News Agency correspondents in the central provinces reported that waters continued to rise in these localities.

The three consecutive days of torrential rains that ended on Oct. 16 also flooded thousands houses in these provinces for the second time since the beginning of October, said the Flood and Storm Control Steering Committee.

In Quang Binh alone, 10,000 families were evacuated to safe places and some 40,000 houses remained flooded, nearly half of which were 1.5-2m deep in water, said the provincial People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Huu Hoai.

Heavy rains and flooding also blocked road and railway transport, isolating more than 100,000 houses in Ha Tinh province after its Mo and Khe Mung hydro-power dams were broken.

“Rain has resulted in landslides leaving 25 areas under thousands of cubic metres of soil and rocks and blocking transport on National Highway 8A,” said Nguyen Truong Tuong, director of 474 Road Management and Repair Company.

National Highway 1A was also 1m deep in water and many provincial roads remained many metres under water, preventing rescue team from reaching flooded house.

The north-south railway was suspended between Nghe An’s Vinh station and Quang Binh’s Dong Hoi station after many parts of the rails were washed away in the floods, said Nguyen Huu Tuyen, head of the Vietnam Railway’s Transport Business Department.

He couldn’t say when the section could reopen but workers would start fixing the rails as soon as water subsided.

Three north-south trains were cancelled on Oct. 17 while some 3,000 passengers who were stranded at those two stations on Oct. 16 continued their journey by bus.

Meanwhile, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting says storm Megi, the incoming tropical that formed in the Philippines, is travelling west at 20kph and is predicted to be 300km east of Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago by the morning of Oct. 20.

The previous floods in early October killed 66 people in the centre of Vietnam./.

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Floods threaten central provinces, again

Water level rises in Ngan Pho river in the central Ha Tinh province on Friday

Photo: Tuoi Tre

No sooner had they recovered after the floods earlier this month, the central provinces are coping with heavy rains, with floods already slamming into several areas, threatening Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue.

In Ha Tinh, flash floods occured in Huong Son district, leaving one dead and more than 1,500 houses flooded. Heavy rains and steep hills have triggered floods, according to Nguyen Duy Trinh, chairman of Huong Son district.

The district currently has more than 410 ha of rice and 1,200 ha of maize, which were left after the recent floods, now submerged in flood waters.

In Quang Binh, heavy rains cause by a cold wave, appeared on Thursday and Friday. In Tan Hoa commune, the area which has experienced the recent history flooding, heavy rains have raised water levels in rivers and streams by 0.5 meters.

Nguyen Ngoc Giai, director of Quang Binh Bureau of Dyke and Flood Prevention, said it is forecast water may rise to alert levels, especially in big river as Kien Giang, Gianh and Nhat Le, from now until next Wednesday.

In Quang Tri, heavy rains accompanied by strong winds on Thursday raised water levels in many rivers in mountainous districts such as Dakrong and Huong Hoa. Heavy downpours also occurred in the lowlands.

Water level on the Ben Hai River in Gia Voong is 42 cm more then the normal level. Heavy rains have been non-stop as of Friday evening.

In Thua Thien - Hue, a tornado left one dead, four students and a teacher seriously injured, and dozens of houses damaged in Ha Long village, Phong My commune.

The village is now being isolated, and only boats can travel there. The village’s population is mainly ethnic minorities, with 83 households of about 300 people.

"The roof of my house was blown up, and dozens of kilograms of stored rice are now totally wet," Ho Thi Dao, a Pa Hy ethnic woman, said in tears.

The tornado killed Tran Ngoc Me, an 80-year-old resident whose house was completely collapsed.

In Quang Binh, the Ho Chi Minh City Road section that goes through the districts of Tuyen Hoa, Quang Ninh and Le Thuy was severely eroded.

The road that goes through Truong Son commune was half eroded, causing traffic jams. According to the 483 Limited Company, which is repairing damaged roads, there are more than 98 landslide-affected spots in the 45-km road section that goes through the two districts of Quang Ninh and Le Thuy.

Another section of the Ho Chi Minh Road is badly eroded in A Dot - A Tep, the area from A Luoi district of Thua Thien - Hue province to Tay Giang district of Quang Nam province.

A storm is approaching the East Sea

On Friday, international meteorological forecast centers warned that a powerful storm called Megi which formed on the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean is approaching the East Sea.

Typhoon Megi was moving west-northwest at 17 kilometers per hour and is forecast to reach Luzon, the Philippines’ most populous island, within four days.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds were blowing at 167 kph and may strengthen to 250 kph as it approaches the northern part of Luzon, the centers said.

That would make it a Category 5 storm, the strongest, on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind scale and capable of “catastrophic damage,” according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Waves in the vicinity of the storm’s eye were 6.7 meters (22 feet) high.

Megi is the name of a catfish in South Korea and is related to the feeling of getting wet, according to the Hong Kong Observatory, which lists names assigned to storms in the northwest Pacific.

According to the Central Hydrometeorology Forecast Center, heavy rains occurred over the last two days in the central provinces from Nghe An to Quang Nam, with the average rainfall of 100-150mm, and 150-200mm in the provinces from Ha Tinh to Quang Nam.

Currently the waters in Kien Giang, Vu Gia, and Gianh rivers are on alarming levels.

It is forecast flood waters in Quang Binh and Thua Thien - Hue rivers may rise to alert level 3; in Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Quang Nam alert level 2; and in Ca River in Nghe An alert level 1.

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Hanoi gives fireworks spending to flood victims

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Hanoi has saved VND5 billion (US$257,000) from canceling 29 fireworks displays on its 1,000th birthday party, and part of the sum has been spent as relief aid for flood-affected residents in the central Quang Binh province.

Hoang Manh Hien, deputy chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, told VnExpress newswire Tuesday he gave a total VND2.5 billion, of which VND1.5 billion was saved from canceled fireworks spending, during his visit to Quang Binh the same day.

He said more relief aid will be given to other four provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, which were hit by floods last week.

On October 5, Hanoi authorities gave VND5 billion as disaster relief to the five central provinces, and they announced to cancel the planned fireworks displays at 29 sites three days later.

The 29 sites were previously chosen for fireworks displays on the symbolic date of October 10, or 10/10/10.

Rain-triggered floods have left 66 people dead, with 17 still missing in the central provinces as of Monday. Quang Binh has reported the worst toll with 45 dead people and 16 missing.

The floods caused an estimated damage worth over VND2.75 trillion (US$141 million), of which some VND1.58 trillion are from Quang Binh.

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Floods kill 52, more relief aid on its way

Central provinces have reported that as of October 8, torrential rains and flash floods had killed 52 people and left 24 others missing.

The disaster claimed 36 lives in Quang Binh province, eight in Ha Tinh, five in Nghe An and three in Quang Tri province.

It also left 17 people missing and injured 44 in Quang Binh province, the hardest hit area.

The Prime Minister has approved emergency relief aid of 100 billion VND and 1,000 tonnes of rice for both Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces.

Deputy Prime Minster Hoang Trung led a delegation to visit the flood-hit provinces, asking them to focus on restoring the region’s essential infrastructure and help local people to rebuild their houses and get back to normal.

On October 7, an overseas Vietnamese from Australia , who was born in Quang Binh province, presented 300 gifts worth a total 100 million VND to people in Vo Ninh commune in Quang Ninh district.

Hanoi will not have fireworks displays at 29 locations around the city on October 10 as part of the planned activities to mark its millennium birthday and will donate the expenditure to flood-hit victims in the central provinces .

The city’s authorities have also called for more relief aid from individuals and organisations to help the central provinces overcome the disaster./.

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Central Vietnam floods kill 48

Hands held high from a broken roof to signal for help in Quang Binh province

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Torrential rains and flash floods in the central region have killed 48 people and left 18 others missing as of Wednesday, according to the National Rescue Committee.

Heavy rains from October 1 flooded rivers and inundated tens of thousands of houses in five provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien-Hue, a swath of territory starting some 300 kilometers south of Hanoi and stretching south.

So far, Quang Binh province has reported the worst toll with 33 people dead and 14 still missing. Ha Tinh has seven dead and one missing, Nghe An five dead and three missing and Quang Tri three dead.

Several trains and buses were stranded in Quang Binh as many sections of track and parts of Highway One, Vietnam's main north-south artery, were washed away.

Helicopters were ferrying instant noodles and drinking water into mountain communities and the navy had come to the aid of at least one boat in distress.

Nearly 62,000 houses from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue were flooded. More than 5,150 households in low-lying and submerged areas in Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces were relocated to higher ground.

The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Center said the low pressure, off China's Hainan Island, was about 360km north east of Vietnam's central provinces.

The low, together with a cold spell, would bring heavy rainfall to central provinces from Nghe An to Quang Tri.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent an official message, demanding urgent measures to deal with the disaster.

The Central Committee for Floods Prevention and Control on Wednesday required local authorities to collaborate with the National Rescue Committee to inform offshore fishing vessels about the low pressure to avoid dangerous areas and seek shelter if necessary.

Local authorities were required to take measures to deal with landslides and floods.

The Ministry of Health also urged local health agencies from Thanh Hoa to Binh Thuan provinces to supply 100,000 tablets of Chloramine B and 100 lifebuoys to flooded areas.

More than 900 border soldiers with 500 lifebuoys, 400 life jackets and 35 tents were mobilized to join the rescue work. More than 1.5 million tons of food, 15,000 packets of instant noodles and 2.5 million liters of water were sent to help people in flood-hit areas.

Ha Tinh Province People's Committee provided VND1 billion (US$51) worth of aid to flood victims. Thousands of people were mobilized to re-open roads and control drainage systems.

As many as 300 soldiers were sent to help evacuate more than 4,000 households in flood-prone areas in Quang Binh. Nearly 2,000 households would be moved to safer places today.

Hanoi People's Committee yesterday said the city's agencies and organizations had donated VND1 billion ($51,000) for the five heavily-affected central provinces.

The Vietnam Red Cross also provided financial support and goods valued at VND820 million ($41,820) for Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces.

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Central floods kill 14

Residents travel by boat after floods strike the central province of Ha Tinh. — VNA/VNS Photo Cong Tuong

HA NOI — Torrential rain and flash floods in the central region left at least14 dead, with five missing and four injured.

Nearly 62,000 houses from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue Province were flooded. More than 5,150 households in low-lying and submerged areas in Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces were relocated to higher ground.

The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre said the low pressure, off China's Hainan Island, was about 360km north east of Viet Nam's central provinces.

The low, together with a cold spell, would bring heavy rainfall to central provinces from Nghe An to Quang Tri.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister sent an official meesage, demanding urgent measures to deal with the disaster.

The Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control yesterday required local authorities to collaborate with the Search and Rescue Committee, to inform offshore fishing vessels about the low pressure to avoid dangerous areas and seek shelter if necessary.

Local authorities were required to take measures to deal with landslides and floods.

The Ministry of Health also urged local health agencies from Thanh Hoa to Binh Thuan provinces to supply 100,000 tablets of Chloramine B and 100 lifebuoys to flooded areas.

More than 900 border soldiers with 500 lifebuoys, 400 life jackets and 35 tents were mobilised to join the rescue work. More than 1.5 million tonnes of food,15,000 packets of instant noodles and 2.5 million litres of water were sent to help people in flood-hit areas.

Ha Tinh Province People's Committee provided VND1 billion (US$51) worth of aid to flood victims. Thousands of people were mobilised to re-open roads and control drainage systems.

As many as 300 soldiers were sent to help evacuate more than 4,000 households in flood-prone areas in Quang Binh Province. Nearly 2,000 households would be moved to safer places today.

Ha Noi People's Committee yesterday said the city's agencies and organisations had donated VND1 billion ($51,000) for the five heavily-affected central provinces.

The Viet Nam Red Cross also provided financial support and goods valued at VND820 million ($41,820) for Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces. — VNS

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