President Thongloun Sisoulith (centre) conducting an inspection of flood prevention efforts in Vientiane on Sept 15. - VT
VIENTIANE: The government has mobilised forces and essential resources to help protect riverside communities in Vientiane after the Mekong River rose to dangerous levels on Sunday (Sept 15).
The Mekong peaked at 13.24 metres on Sunday morning but is expected to drop to 12.97 metres on Monday, with a further decline on Tuesday, according to the Mekong River Commission.
President Thongloun Sisoulith inspected the flood situation at Dankham village in Sangthong district on Sunday morning and also visited Sikhottabong district, the Landmark checkpoint, Chao Anouvong Park, Chanthabouly district, and the port at Km4 in Sisattanak district.
The Secretary of Vientiane’s Party Committee, Anouphap Toulalom, and other government leaders from Vientiane also visited affected areas so they could report on the situation to President Thongloun, who handed out relief materials to flood victims.
In addition, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, accompanied by senior government officials and the media, on Sunday went to monitor the flood situation in Hadxaifong, Pakngum and Sisattanak districts.
Although the river level in Vientiane has risen above the flood mark and is higher than levels recorded during major floods in 1966 and 2008, Vientiane city centre remains secure due to elevated river embankments and effective flood prevention measures.
However, low-lying areas along the Mekong River which have no protection from the embankment such as Sangthong, Sikhottabong, Hadxaifong and Pakngum districts, are now underwater.
Over the past two to three days, village leaders, Lao People’s Army personnel, mass organisations, youth groups, officials from the Lao Front for National Development, the Lao Women’s Union, and officials from various ministries have all come together to prepare sandbags for flood prevention.
Vientiane raised its emergency response to the highest level following government orders, designating key areas as protection zones, according to the KPL news agency.
The first protection zone covers the urban centre, including Sikhottabong, Chanthabouly and Sisattanak districts, where sandbag walls have been set up to hold back the water.
The second zone covers the suburbs, stretching from Sangthong district to Hadxaifong district, which have already been hit hard by flooding.
In Sangthong district alone, 20 villages and over 1,000 people have been affected, with more than 300 homes evacuated.
Hadxaifong district has been severely impacted, with water breaching flood barriers and inundating homes and farmland.
A resident of Simmano village told the Vientiane Times “The water started rising on Friday evening and is now chest-deep. We’ve had to move our valuables to the second floor, and without running water, we’ve gone to stay with relatives.”
She added that such severe flooding hasn’t happened since 2008 and is making life very difficult.
Another resident, from Khokxai village, said “This area is prone to flooding, but this year is different. Normally, we get 4-5 days of waist-deep floods each year, but this year in just two days the water has reached chest level.”
“We are struggling to find space for food and supplies, and with no electricity or running water, life is becoming more challenging by the day.”
From Sept 12-14, flooding affected Sikhottabong, Sangthong, Hadxaifong, Pakngum and Sisattanak districts.
In total, 85 villages were flooded, with 3,901 families affected. Three families have gone to stay with relatives, while 17 families have been moved to shelters assigned by the authorities, according to the Vientiane Department of Labour and Social Welfare. - Vientiane Times/ANN
