Heavy and constant truck traffic along several sections of the Red River dyke system in Hanoi and the neighboring province of Ha Nam has badly eroded and damaged the route, resulting in landslides and more threat of flooding.
The Red River is one of the two longest rivers in the northern region which flows through Hanoi. At present, several sections of the dyke system along both sides of the river have been badly downgraded and eroded because of constant heavy vehicular truck traffic.
The dyke section in Ly Nhan District of Ha Nam Province is sinking with hundreds of trucks passing through it every day. The concrete tarmac on the dyke surface has corroded and numerous potholes dot the section.
According to the People’s Committee of Ly Nhan District, the 27.3km dyke section in the district had been paved to facilitate travel for local residents since 2007. However, heavy loaded trucks have quickly downgraded the route.
The Red River dyke system along Phuc Tho, Dan Phuong, Me Linh and Thanh Tri Districts of Hanoi are similarly being fast downgraded.
Hundreds of trucks ply and damage the paved dyke surface in Lien Trung Commune of Dan Phuong District. Some spots have even subsided deep into the ground.
Phung Thi Hieu, a resident of Lien Trung Commune, said that 15-10 ton trucks carrying construction materials are daily plying along the dyke route.
The Hanoi Dyke Management Department said that the stretch along Lien Trung Commune is one of the worst landslide prone spots on the right bank of the Red River.
Besides trucks, coaches and buses also use the route, to avoid traffic police.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development admitted that the Red River dyke route has been badly damaged due to heavy truck traffic in Ha Nam Province, Hanoi and also some other places.
The ministry has suggested to people’s committees in provinces and cities to disallow trucks from using the dyke routes and for authorized units to closely monitor its implementation.
