After months of living with the threat floods from the Nuoc Trong Reservoir, a total of 90 out of 119 households in the basin were moved on Tuesday to a safe place in Tra Tho Commune, the central province of Quang Ngai's Tay Tra District.
The provincial authorities are surveying places to continue moving the remaining households, said Ho Van Canh, chairman of the Tay Tra People's Committee.
Local authorities would efficiently work on developing roads, houses and clean water system to help residents resettle, he said.
Earlier, nine households in Tre Village in Tra Tho Commune had to move to a mountain, as water increasingly rose in the reservoir.
They lived without electricity or clean water, and their life was in danger in the rainy season.
Dinh Thi Ba, living in the village, told Nguoi lao dong (The Labourer) newspaper that they had waited for some months, but no house was built in the resettlement areas.
"We lack everything, even clean water for drinking," she said.
Dinh Van Nhit, head of Tre Village, said local residents worried as the rainy season was coming because they lacked the proper facilities.
Kindergarten pupils did not even have schools to study, he said.
"When water rises in rainy weather, we have no way to escape," said Nhit.
The 119 households were among 465 households that live in the flooded areas of the reservoir. A total of 346 have been moving to safer places since last year.
"The 119 households were moved late because the weather changed regularly, creating obstacles for the building of roads, houses and other social welfare constructions," said Canh.
Nuoc Trong is the biggest irrigation and hydroelectricity project in Quang Ngai Province. The project's total funding is VND1.9 trillion (US$93 million) coming from the State's bond. As many as VND1.2 trillion ($58.5 million) was spent for the main construction while relocating the residents cost VND247 billion ($12 million).
After its completion, the Nuoc Trong project will supply water for more than 52,000ha of farm land, reduce flooding for the lowlands, supply water for the Dung Quat Economic Zone, Tinh Phong Industrial Zone, Quang Ngai City and seven plain districts in the province.
Construction work on the project started in 2005. — VNS