Preventing landslides

Many Thai households in Don village, Pu Luong commune still live on hillsides along streams with a high risk of landslides during storms.

According to the Thanh Hoa Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue and Civil Defense (PCTT, TKCN&PTDS), there are currently 85 areas at high to very high risk of landslides in the mountainous areas of the province. In fact, in recent years, especially after storms No. 3 and No. 4 in September 2024, many landslides have occurred in the mountainous areas, causing great damage. From the 2024 flood season to now, many typical landslides have occurred such as: Landslides in Kim Tan town and Thanh Yen and Thanh Truc communes, Thach Thanh district (old); Lung Dac hill slide in Khung village, Thiet Ke commune, Ba Thuoc district (old); landslides in the area of ​​Nhu Xuan Secondary and High School (Thanh Quan commune, old Nhu Xuan district); landslides in Cha Khot village (Na Meo commune, old Quan Son district); Land subsidence, cracks in Muong village residential area (Trung Xuan commune, old Quan Son district); landslides on the slope of the main Cua Dat canal from K6+300 to K6+500 (Phung Giao commune, old Ngoc Lac district); landslides in the area of ​​Lam Phu Secondary School (old Lang Chanh district)...

After completing the merger of new communes, the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue and Disaster Prevention conducted a comprehensive survey and synthesis. Currently, in the whole province, there are 6,275 households/26,551 people of 82 communes and wards living in areas at risk of landslides. In the lowland mountainous area, Xuan Du commune has 163 households with 753 people living in areas at risk of landslides. Cam Thuy commune has 95 households/376 people living in areas at high risk of landslides. In Thang Loc commune, the old Xuan Loc and old Xuan Thang communes currently have 203 households with nearly 800 people still living in areas at risk of landslides in mountains and hills when there are heavy storms. During the last two storms, the commune has made plans and proactively relocated a number of households to solid structures such as cultural houses, schools and solid houses in safe places.

In the highland area, after the merger, Pu Luong commune also has 136 households with 535 people living in areas at risk of landslides. The most are in Bang, Kho Muong, Niem Thanh, Eo Ken, Pa Ban villages..., each village has dozens of families living on steep mountain slopes, along streams. Mr. Ha Van Luyen, a resident of Don village, Pu Luong commune, said: "When it rains and floods, water from high mountain slopes flows in all at once, causing the local flow to be very large. In the past, many people were still subjective, but now with propaganda, many people are proactive in prevention. My house is on a steep slope, bordered on both sides by mountains of dirt. When there is information about an upcoming big storm, I often have to stock up on food and provisions, and if required by the government, I will evacuate immediately to ensure safety."

In Muong Lat commune, nearly 500 people from 89 households are living scattered on the mountain slopes, places with high risk of landslides. According to Vice Chairman of Muong Lat Commune People's Committee Lo Hoai Niem, during storm No. 3 at the end of July, there was prolonged heavy rain in the commune, the commune had to evacuate 5 households with 28 people from the villages to cultural houses and solid schools. After assessing the situation was safe, the forces in the commune helped bring people back to stabilize their lives.

Currently, there is no technology that can accurately predict landslide disasters. Therefore, prevention is still the most effective solution. To ensure the safety of people, in recent heavy rains or storms and floods, the Provincial People's Committee, the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue and Disaster Prevention have issued telegrams and warnings of flash floods and flash floods, requiring localities to urgently deploy early response solutions. During the 2025 storm season, the Provincial Border Guard Command is also testing 3 unmanned UAV devices to monitor landslides in complex mountainous terrain.

For very high-risk areas and locations where landslides, riverbank and stream bank erosion have occurred, from September 2024 to present, the Irrigation Sub-Department and the Department of Agriculture and Environment have also advised the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to announce 13 emergency situations regarding landslides. The Department of Finance has arranged funds for localities to immediately overcome the consequences of natural disasters. The Irrigation Sub-Department and the Department of Agriculture and Environment have also advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Plan No. 275/KH-UBND dated November 3, 2023 to implement the Project on preventing and combating riverbank and coastal erosion by 2030 in Thanh Hoa province.

According to information from the Standing Office of the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue, the unit has issued a document requesting newly established communes to focus on reviewing all areas at high risk of landslides and flooding along rivers and streams to adjust and update response plans, especially appropriate evacuation and relocation plans, ensuring the safety of people's lives. At the same time, communes are required to strictly manage so that people do not illegally build houses in areas at high risk of landslides, prohibiting the leveling of mountains and slopes to build works and houses, and illegal exploitation of resources and minerals, which increases the risk of landslides.

Regarding the evacuation plan, by August 2025, mountainous localities reported the completion of the evacuation plan in case of natural disasters, including the evacuation plan for 6,275 households with 26,551 people living in areas at risk of landslides.

Article and photos: Linh Truong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phong-tranh-nguy-co-sat-lo-259330.htm