Nghe An urgently needs to repair traffic infrastructure after severe floods

The consequences of the flash flood on July 22 caused heavy damage to 7 border communes of Nghe An, dozens of villages were isolated. In Nhon Mai commune alone, 5 bridges were washed away by the flood and National Highway 16 was broken. The authorities are trying to fix the problem, prioritizing the earliest road clearance.

Approaching the isolated village

From Pha Khao village, in the old Mai Son commune, now Nhon Mai commune, after 6 hours of walking through muddy landslides on Highway 16, Mr. Gia Chong Ho still could not reach Huoi Co village to visit his recently deceased relative.

Mr. Gia Chong Ho expressed, "I know it's dangerous, but I can't not go because a family member died so I have to take the risk."

People had to cross mountains and pass many landslides on Highway 16 to receive relief goods. Photo: Nguyen Nam

Also on this route, due to the broken road and food shortage after many days of isolation, Mr. Va Pa Po and a group of young people from Nhon Mai village were forced to risk walking through the forest for many hours to reach Xoi Voi village to receive relief goods. Mr. Va Pa Po said, “it was very difficult, we could not transport anything. It was difficult to go empty-handed, let alone carry goods on our backs, which was even more difficult.”

Along the Nam Non River from My Ly commune to Nhon Mai, many villages were devastated by the flood on the night of July 22. Currently, hundreds of households are having to set up temporary shelters to stay through the day.

After many hours of walking, Gia Chong Ho (right) still has not arrived to pay his respects to his deceased relative. Photo: Nguyen Nam

Mr. Le Hong Thai - Chairman of Nhon Mai Commune People's Committee said that as of July 29, only commune officials, Border Guards and Commune Police could access the isolated villages. Due to dangerous landslides, broken and washed away roads, to reach the isolated villages, the forces had to wade through mud and walk for 5-10 hours to reach the people.

Efforts to improve the road traffic system

Nine days have passed since the flash flood, and road management units are still trying to restore traffic in the first stage. However, the consequences of the flood were enormous: 662 serious landslides with hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of rock and soil burying roads in the Nghe An border area. In particular, 16 faults caused traffic jams and separation in 7 communes on the Vietnam - Laos border, with estimated damage of more than 1,000 billion VND.

Authorities help people in Huoi To 2 village, Nhon Mai commune build temporary shelters to live in. Photo: Hoai Thu

In Nhon Mai commune, Chairman of the People's Committee Le Hong Thai said that the damage to infrastructure after the flood in the commune is estimated at more than 530 billion VND. In addition to 5 rigid bridges that were washed away, the National Highway 16 system and inter-village roads were also seriously damaged. For example, the section of National Highway 16 through Xoi Voi village was completely broken. The road at both ends of Huoi To 2 bridge was also completely washed away. The road connecting National Highway 16 to Na village was severely damaged. The road surface from Na Hy village to Pha Mut village was washed away in many sections. The damage to the negative slope of the residential area of Huoi Xa, Huoi To 1, Huoi To 2 villages was estimated at about 46 billion VND...

Road management units are still speeding up traffic on National Highway 16. Photo: Nguyen Nam

Mr. Ngo Quoc Hung - Deputy Director of Trung Tin Road Management Company said: "Currently, the damage and deterioration of roads in Nhon Mai as well as other communes is very complicated, so we will gradually work until the roads are open."

Currently, in parallel with the relief work for people in isolated villages, the government and functional forces in Nhon Mai are also working to overcome landslides and clear roads to the villages.

Mr. Hoang Quoc Truong - Director of Nghe An Road Maintenance Management Board said that due to the huge damage, the unit is mobilizing all road management units to open the first phase of traffic, serving the travel needs of the people. In the long term, regarding solidification, we have to wait for capital to be available, from which the infrastructure can be restored to its previous state.

Nhon Mai Border Guard Station forces and local people build a bamboo bridge to Huoi To 2 village. Photo: Hoai Thu

The temporary solution is only a temporary solution. To ensure safety and create conditions for sustainable development in the Western Nghe An region, a comprehensive and long-term strategy is needed, from re-planning residential areas, building a solid transportation system to improving people's capacity to prevent natural disasters. Only then can we minimize the damage caused by floods in the future.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/nghe-an-cap-thiet-khac-phuc-ha-tang-giao-thong-sau-lu-du-10303633.html