He surveyed the areas heavily affected by floods in Mu Cang Chai town and inspected the recovery work in the locality and the environmental sanitation at the affected schools.
Minister Ha stressed that the most urgent issue at this time is to find the missing people, while prioritising environmental sanitation work with the focus on environmental treatment at schools in order to ensure the timely launch of the new school year in September.
Ha noted that the Environmental Protection Fund will study and support the handling of post-flood environmental problems in Mu Cang Chai.
He sent his condolences to the families of victims of the recent floods and provided Yen Bai with VND600 million (US$26,400) from the Environmental Protection Fund to help the province to overcome the consequences of the flood.
He also granted VND200 million (US$8,800) worth of donations from staff working at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and 200 sets of bunk beds to the boarding school of Mu Cang Chai district.
Earlier on August 5, Minister Ha held a working session with the authorities of Yen Bai province to discuss the recent flash floods and landslides and the plans to prevent post-flood diseases, relocate flood-affected residents and overcome the consequences of the disaster.
The rains and floods on August 3 have caused heavy damage to the local residents with an estimated loss of VND160 billion (US$7.04 million). By August 5, four people were reported dead and 11 were reported as missing, in addition to 54 damaged houses and45 ha of rice inundated, among others.
