The construction of an 83 km long dyke in Thanh Hoa Province cannot be completed due to financial shortage.

Part of the sea dyke in Da Loc Commune, Hau Loc District

The province has 6 districts living in the coastal area and a total of 102 kilometres of coastline. The coast plays a vital role in the lives and production of civilians.

Storm No. 7 in 2005, which struck Hau Loc, Hoang Hoa and Nga Son districts, caused hundreds of billions of dong worth of damage and devastated farmers. The storm resulted in the Prime Minister approving the construction of an 83 kilometre dyke. 30.2 kilometres of the dyke have been completed thus far. Another 24.5 kilometres are planned to be built this year in Tinh Gia, Hoang Hoa, and Hau Loc districts but the province is short on funding.

The Prime Minister has approved VND1.1 trillion ($57.2 million) to complete the project however, Thanh Hoa Province has so far received only VND408 billion ($21.2 million).

Meanwhile, a report made by Thanh Hoa’s Department of Dyke Management, Flood & Storm Control revealed that the building of 30.2 kilometres had cost over VND600 billion ($31.2 million). The province now owes contractors about VND200 billion ($10.4 million).

The financial issue has hindered the construction progress. Thanh Hoa’s Department of Dyke Management, Flood & Storm Control has asked the government to provide the province with VND150-200 billion ($7.8-10.4 million) each year until construction is complete.

As storm season approaches, many residents living along the coastline are worried about their safety.