Prime Minister said Mecong Delta Floods the worst in 70 years
Ha Noi, Nov. 10 (VNA) -- Prime Minister Phan Van Khai described the floods ravaging Viet Nam's Mekong delta from July as the most serious in 70 years now as they killed 453 people and caused material losses of VND 3,800 billion (USD 271.4 million), excluding damage to social infrastructure and environment.
The Prime Minister and his deputies, Nguyen Tan Dzung and Nguyen Cong Tan, chaired a conference to discuss measures to overcome flood aftermath and resume production and lives on Nov. 10 in Cao Lanh town of Dong Thap province.
The flooding affected the lives of 10 million people in the region including 4.5 million in submerged areas and 500,000 requiring emergency aid, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The disaster submerged 150,000 ha of rice and completely destroyed 56,000 ha, 4,000 ha of subsidiary food crops and 90,000 ha of fruit trees and industrial crops. It also killed 58,500 cattles and 541,000 poultry head, damaged 12,600 ha of aquatic product raising, waterlogged 1,280 km of national highways and 10,000 km of district roads, and ruined 4,000 bridges and water supply, sewage, and irrigation systems.
The 12 Mekong delta provinces have allocated VND 151.6 billion (USD 10.8 million), including VND 122 billion from local budgets and VND 29.6 billion from donations, to help the local people resume production.
Besides, the Government provided VND 112.5 billion, 3,000 tonnes of rice, and 20 tonnes of vegetable seeds to those flood-hit provinces.
Agencies, organizations and individuals donated VND 67 billion, and 42 foreign countries and international organizations granted USD 2.7 million.
As many as 380,000 families were provided with food, medicines and materials for house repair, clothes and 51,500 households with fishing boats and nets. Nearly 1,100 steel-frame houses were installed in Long An, Dong Thap, Kien Giang and An Giang provinces to provide accommodation to 4,000 households.--
