Severe flooding in July 2025 devastated Cha Nga and surrounding areas, washing away key infrastructure and cutting off the road linking the border village to the commune centre. The isolation hit daily life hard in a mountainous area where livelihoods depend heavily on road and river transport, disrupting access to markets, healthcare and schooling.
The major floods of July 2025 sweep away the only road into Cha Nga Village (Photo: Nguyen Phe).
During the months of separation, authorities and residents carved out a temporary forest path from Bac Ly Commune to Cha Nga. The 6-kilometre track crossed streams and steep, slippery slopes and was passable only on foot or by motorbike.
After months of work and with improved weather, My Ly officials mobilised machinery and personnel from local agencies, militia, police, border guards and residents to build a new road.
Authorities surveying and measuring the new road into Cha Nga Village (Photo: Luong Van).
Luong Van Bay, chairman of the My Ly Commune People’s Committee, said the new route stretches more than 20 kilometres. The most difficult section, about 6 kilometres from Tam Thang Village in Bac Ly to Cha Nga, was widened from an old trail and built continuously for more than a month.
“The old road into Cha Nga was completely washed away after the July 2025 floods, leaving only steep rock faces,” Bay said. “Residents had to rely mainly on boats along the Nam Non River. We mobilised all resources to open a new road so people could travel more steadily.”
The reopening is expected to make a significant difference for Cha Nga’s 94 households, home to more than 450 people, most of them from the Thai ethnic minority. With road access restored, residents can more easily transport agricultural produce and supplies, and make Tet shopping trips.
Bay said the road has also improved access to school and healthcare. “Children can get to school more conveniently, and the sick can seek medical care with less difficulty,” he said.
The new road connecting from the centre of Bac Ly Commune to Cha Nga Village, My Ly Commune (Photo: Luong Van).
During the dry season, motorbikes and lorries can now reach the village. Boats on the Nam Non River remain an important alternative, particularly during the rainy season and floods.
Authorities said they will reinforce vulnerable sections of the road in the coming months to reduce landslide risks and improve safety during the wet season.
My Ly, a border commune adjacent to Laos, has more than 45 kilometres of border. The commune has 12 villages with 1,259 households and 5,715 residents. Ethnic minorities make up 99 per cent of the population, including Kho Mu, Hmong, Thai and Kinh communities.
At the end of 2024, the commune recorded 568 poor households, about 45.12 per cent, and 367 near-poor households, about 29.15 per cent.
Cha Nga remains among the most disadvantaged villages, with residents largely reliant on shifting cultivation and fishing on the Nam Non River.
