HCM
City aims to have drainage systems on 70-80 per cent of its streets connected
with wastewater treatment plants by the end of this year.

The city also aims to
reduce 70 per cent flooding in areas that typically experience serious
inundation, and cut flooding by 90 per cent at the northern Nhieu Loc and Tau Hu
areas as well as the Tan Hoa – Lo Gom area.

It will dredge and
upgrade drainage systems and canals, and complete many major anti-flooding
projects by the end of this year.

These projects will
connect the current drainage system with that of the HCM City Environmental
Sanitation Project; build a drain to control flood-tides at the Nhieu Loc – Thi
Nghe and Binh Trieu – Binh Loi – Rach Lang canals; upgrade the Ba Bo canal; and
install a pumping station at the Phu Lam port in District 6.

Water
contamination

Several experts have
warned that the city’s major water sources were seriously contaminated and that
it lacked a long-term plan for water resource exploitation and management.

City officials have
said that the Department of Natural Resources and Environment would work
together with other relevant agencies to come up with measures to improve
rainwater collection, use of underground water resources and exploitation of
minerals.

It will determine
areas where exploitation of underground water is banned or severely restricted.

They will also seek
ways to curb water pollution and come up with detailed plans to protect the Dong
Nai River basin environment in the 2011-15 period.

In order to cope with
climate change challenges and ensure sustainable development, the city has
identified six key programmes that would be implemented in the coming years –
improve the quality of human resources; further administrative reforms;
restructure the economy; reduce traffic congestion; mitigate flooding; and
reduce environmental pollution.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News