Nearly 50 homeowners in Hoi An's Old Town are at risk of losing their homes, as a current anti-flooding project threatens to destroy the long-standing structures.
While construction workers are busy replacing a run-down colonial-era embankment along the Hoai River, cracks have begun to appear in the floors and walls of local houses, reports Thanh Nien. Some of these fissures, homeowners say, are as long as five meters.
Though local residents have alerted authorities to the problem, efforts to counteract the damage seem unlikely. Deputy Chairman of the Hoi An People's Committee Nguyen The Hung says the project's contractor was aware of these risks from the beginning and had no choice but to continue. A board of supervisors, including heritage conservationists, are currently overseeing the project, however there is no guarantee that the ancient houses in question will survive the damage.
Deputy Chairman Hung told Thanh Nien authorities surveyed the ancient houses prior to construction, which began last year, and purchased insurance for each of the structures before moving forward with the new 800-meter embankment.
Vietnam's central government gave Quang Nam province over VND50 billion (US$2.2 million) to complete the project.
[Photo via Thanh Nien]
