Housing project construction halted amid landslide concerns in Vietnam’s Da Lat

Authorities in Da Lat City, located in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, ordered the investor of the Dalat Flower Valley housing project to stop building and remove all machinery from the construction site because of the risk of landslides on the hillside.

The construction site of the Da Lat Flower Valley housing project is located on Dang Thai Tan Street in Ward 3, Da Lat City, an area identified by authorities as having a significant susceptibility to landslides.

It is in close proximity to the sites of two previous landslide incidents, including one on Khe Sanh Street at the end of 2021 and another in the Yen The-Hoang Hoa Tham area in July 2023, which tragically resulted in two fatalities.

The project covers an area exceeding 1.5 hectares, with an initial investment surpassing VND266 billion (US$11.2 million), although this figure has now been revised down to VND113 billion ($4.7 million).

According to the construction permit issued by the Lam Dong Department of Construction, the total amount of soil excavated during the execution of the project is 16,923 cubic meters, and the backfill soil quantity is 18,439 cubic meters. 

The project investor is obligated to construct a 105-meter-long rock embankment as part of the site renovation.

According to the authorities of Ward 3, the project is currently in the stages of soil excavation, internal road construction, and embankment establishment. 

The construction team has excavated approximately 8,000 cubic meters of soil, or around half of the authorized excavation volume.

However, numerous households within the vicinity have expressed concerns about the project’s safety, according to the People’s Committee of Da Lat. 

The committee affirmed that during a recent period of intense heavy rainfall, a substantial amount of mud cascaded onto roads in the neighborhood of the project, hindering the movement of residents. 

Additionally, there was an occurrence of landslides near the new embankment.

Therefore, the People’s Committee of Da Lat City issued a directive to Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigon Investment Construction and Commerce Co. Ltd., the investor of the Dalat Flower Valley housing project, mandating the cessation of construction operations and the complete removal of all machinery from the construction site. 

As documented by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper around noon on Sunday, construction equipment remained at the site. 

Certain areas prone to landslides have been marked with cautionary tape. 

In the newly-established embankment zone, recent rainfall has carved a channel, directing mud from the construction site into the valley below.

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