VietNamNet Bridge – Erosion along the Tien River in Dong Thap Province has resulted in more than VND172 million (US$7,600) worth of damage since the start of 2018.

Residents use more than 1,150cu.m of sand to fill up holes along the Tien River in Hoa An Commune, Cao Lanh District to limit the erosions. — VNA/VNS Photo Chuong Dai

Vo Thanh Ngoan, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the reason for the problem was that the course of a nearby stream had been changed.

Reports from the department said from 2005-17, nearly 305ha of land along the Tien River had been swept away, causing losses of VND350 billion ($15.6 million).

Ngoan said that to limit erosion, the provincial People’s Committee should instruct local authorities to set up warning signs in danger zones and assign inspectors to monitor the river.

The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment also needed to manage sand dredging along the river.

Erosion-hit areas from Thanh Binh to Cao Lanh are being shored up, and a 460-metre embankment is being built in Thuong Thoi Tien Commune, Hong Ngu District.

More than 5,900 households in the province are still living in danger zones, of which 2,440 need urgent relocation.

Ngoan said that the province planned to set up 12 residential quarters in seven districts to relocate them, with total funding of VND657 billion ($29.2 million).

The province was waiting for approval from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, said Ngoan.

The Mekong (Cuu Long) Delta has 562 eroded sites along its rivers and coast, covering 786km, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A combined stretch of 149km, including 26 river sites and 16 coastal sites, are extremely dangerous and need to be resolved urgently.

The total investment in the delta to solve erosion is expected to cost about VND6.99 trillion (US$307.9 million).

An Giang, Dong Thap, Ca Mau and Bac Lieu are the most affected provinces in the delta.

As of the end of last year, only 138km of eroded river sites and 49km of eroded coastal sites in the delta had been shored up with embankments and dykes, according to the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research.

Source: VNS