Illegal storage of building materials on a dyke in Hanoi's Long Bien District.

This figure was released at an online conference of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with chairmen of district People's Committees of provinces and cities on Friday in Hanoi.

Most of the violations involved the construction of houses and workshops, illegal sand exploitation and storage of building materials, and overloaded vehicles travelling on dykes, said agriculture deputy minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep.

There have been more than 10,670 such violations since 2011, with only 3,270 of those cases resolved.

Several dyke systems have been damaged and lacked constructions to protect the dykes, said Vu Xuan Thanh, deputy director general of the General Department of Disaster Prevention and Control, adding that hundreds of sewer systems were also damaged and degraded.

Dyke management is being neglected in many localities, Thanh said, adding that this made dyke protection more difficult when floods occur.

Dyke protection plans were not being put into practice and many localities still lack human resource for dyke management.

Authorities at all levels have not paid sufficient attention to dyke management and maintenance and have not fulfilled their responsibilities to prevent and handle violations, said Thanh.

At the meeting, the delegates also discussed the responsibilities and powers of the chairman of the district People's Committee and leaders of agencies in dyke management and protection.

Localities must review plans to ensure dyke safety before the flood season and storms this year.

Storms, flash floods, landslides, drought and saltwater intrusion have become more and more severe in recent years.

According to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, from the beginning of 2020 until now, the country has experienced 186 thunderstorms, whirlwinds and heavy rains in 40 provinces and cities, two flash floods, landslides, drought, severe saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta, south-central region and Central Highlands.

Natural disasters have left 49 people dead and missing, more than 61,726 houses were collapsed, damaged and unroofed; over 108,450 hectares of crops were affected. The total economic damage is nearly VND3.38 trillion (US$145.2 million).  VNS 

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