(VOVWORLD) - Life has returned to Chut village in Van Ban commune, Lao Cai province—a place devastated by Typhoon Bualoi last October. Chut has undergone a remarkable transformation – sturdy new homes stand where landslides destroyed the old homes, and green shoots grow in soil recently buried in mud and sand.
 Recovery is clearly seen in flood-ravaged Chut village. (Photo: An Kien) |
Chut village has emerged from the layers of silt left by last year’s historic flood. Government support, swift administrative action, and a spirit of solidarity have turned the disaster-stricken area into a community brimming with vitality, with an infrastructure upgraded to better withstand future calamities.
Standing in his new house, Duong Van Hien still feels as though he’s dreaming. His old house was buried by last year’s landslide. Thanks to 3,000 USD in support from the commune and private donors, along with a flexible land-exchange policy, his family now owns a solid home on the main road.
"I’m incredibly happy because we finally have a new home,” Hien said and recalled, “After the flood, my parents had to stay at one neighbor’s house and then another. Our children and grandchildren had nowhere to sleep when they visited us. After nearly two months of construction, we were able to celebrate Lunar New Year in our own home. I feel very secure here. The stream is far from us now, so I’m no longer afraid of natural disasters."
 Hoang Van On (C) stands in front of his newly built house. (Photo: An Kien) |
Sharing the joy of settling down before the Lunar New Year is the 5-member family of Hoang Van On, one of the village’s poor households. The flood buried their home and all their belongings under two meters of sand—a total loss. Mr. On was moved to tears as he stepped into his new house, whose materials and construction labor were provided by the commune authorities.
"Everything was lost, buried deep in the sand. We lost about 280 bundles of rice seedlings in the fields. Without the support of businesses, militia members, and police, we could never have rebuilt this house. Now I feel secure and ready to focus on working and rebuilding our livelihood," said Mr. On.
Immediately after the disaster, Văn Bàn commune mobilized all available resources to recover. The 20 households that lost their home were resettled before the Lunar New Year. One recovery breakthrough was “lightning-speed” handling of land administrative procedures. Nguyen Manh Ha, Deputy Chairman of the communal People’s Committee, said, "We completed all tasks assigned by the provincial authorities before Lunar New Year holiday. So, residents received their land use right certificates—commonly known as ‘red books’—along with warm, safe homes."
 Nguyen Thi Phuong (L) says she is happy to have a bumper potato harvest. (Photo: An Kien) |
These homes, urgently built through community solidarity, along with newly issued land certificates and the promise of a bumper crop, made for a joyous springtime in Chut village. The terrifying memories of the flood are fading, replaced by renewed confidence in future prosperity. Beside the new houses, a 15-hectare field recently buried under mud now stretches to the horizon, green with the buds of a winter potato crop.
Local resident Nguyen Thi Phuong told VOV potatoes brought some timely income. "My family planted potatoes and they grew big and healthy. We harvested them and earned some extra income, which made this Lunar New Year holiday less difficult," Phuong said.
In Chut village the disaster has faded and a new chapter has brought the prospect of a bright future.