Vientiane takes measures to prevent flooding
I was talking to my relatives in Vientiane yesterday and they told me they were on high alert for possible flooding in their area in Sikhottabong district. Aunt Kian was called by the English school early in the evening to pick up my cousins because the administration decided to cancel class for fear of water from the Mekong River reaching the school area. Many people that I know didn’t go to work or came home early to play the waiting game. The city has been preparing for days stacking sandbags around the city. My relatives went to see the level of the Mekong River and it was quite a sight with high level of water.
The astonishing thing is that some of the people living along the river took advantage of the opportunity by venturing into the water collecting tree branches for firewood. For those that don’t have a boat, they just swim around dragging as many pieces of the branches to the shore.
Sadly the other relatives with their papaya farm and corns didn’t escape the flood. They area was flooded a couple of weeks ago due to non-stop rain and they had to salvage as much crops as possible.
Below is the news coverage of the current situation from the Vientiane Times Newspaper.
Hundreds of families cut off by floods
There was a dramatic increase in the height of the Mekong River in Vientiane yesterday, as the river’s height rose above flood danger levels.
The river hit 12.96m, well above the danger level of 12.50m, and the city is being threatened with flooding.
Officials are preparing for rising water levels by placing sandbags around the city, according to Vientiane Flooding and Drought Prevention Committee Head Vilasack Nammounty.
“I believe we can protect the city until the river reaches 14m, but I can’t say what will happen if the water level exceeds 14m,” he said.
“We will keep a close eye on the situation and monitor information from forecasters closely.”
The river is expected to rise to 13.21m today and to 13.63m tomorrow, according to information from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.
Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh yesterday visited areas in Vientiane which are at risk of flooding, including Kaoliew village in Sikhottabong district.
More than 6,000 people from all government sectors are working to mitigate the situation, including officers from the national defence and public security ministries, district authorities and villagers.
Almost 400,000 sandbags have been distributed so far.
Sikhottabong district Governor Thongkhoun Sengdara said officials had collaborated with local people to sandbag areas of the riverbank which were at risk of overflowing.
District officials evacuated 60 families and their animals from Xingxou Island yesterday and took them to higher ground.
On August 11 residents were evacuated from Nongda and Dankham villages due to the flood risk.
Mr Thongkhoun said the district authority had appointed security officials protect the evacuees’ homes from being looted.
Ministry of Energy and Mines’ Office Head, Soukan Phongsavath, says officials are working to safeguard electricity sources in the flooded villages.
Hundreds of families in Done and Hadkanza villages, Hadxaifong district, Vientiane , have been cut off from the rest of the city because the access road is flooded.
They started moving their livestock and possessions out of the area on August 11.
The gates of the Nam Ngum dam were opened to three metres yesterday to allow water to escape downstream. The dam is expecting a large influx of water to come from upstream in the next two to three days. Widening the dam gates now is intended to prevent the dam from overflowing later this week, according to the dam’s Deputy Director Vanthong Khamlounvilayvong.
This must occur before the river levels rise as forecast by the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.
“We can’t manage and release water if the level of the Mekong is too high,” Mr Vanthong said.
The Lao government has mobilised all of its sectors to help protect against flood damage.
The Ministry of Information and Culture yesterday held a meeting to urge its bodies to allocate staff to help with the effort.
Some staff have been tasked with these duties, while others have been placed on standby.
By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
August 13, 2008
Vientiane Times
Some of the Laocooks spoke to their families back in Vientiane a few days ago and told me about the flood, I thought that they were joking!.
Everytime that I have seen the Mekong, she looks so dry, guess the climate change is affecting us all in one way or another.