HCM City is at high risk of flooding during the rainy season this
year, said Do Tan Long, an official of the city’s Anti-Flood Programme
Management Centre.

Huynh Tan Phat Street in HCM City’s District 7 is inundated after heavy rain. (Photo: VNS)

Heavy rain last week
flooded 41 streets within five hours.

Long, who is head of
the sewage system management division, said the flooding was mainly caused by
ongoing construction projects.

For instance, the
urban upgrading project clogged 21 sewages in District 6, Tan Phu and Tan Binh
districts when the executing board pumped water and mud into the pipe system and
failed to dredge the pipes after completing their work.

Similarly,
construction of the environmental hygiene project in Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal
blocked sewage in 13 places in District 1, District 3, Binh Thanh and Phu Nhuan
districts.

Anti-Flood Programme
Management Centre Advisor Ho Long Phi said that projects’ progress was behind
schedule because city authorities did not have proper measures in place to see
it through.

The centre has asked
the municipal People’s Committee to speed up the progress of the projects and
repair any flood damage.

“The centre will also
strengthen our check on the sewage system to repair in time, and upgrade the
system,” said Long.

The centre would
complete the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal sewage projects, he said.

Meanwhile, Tran Van
Tam, head of the Urban and Environment Division under the municipal People’s
Committee, said the committee would order the Department of Transport, the
Department of Construction and districts’ People’s Committee to inspect and
punish projects that damaged the sewage system.

The districts’
People’s Committees were responsible for ensuring local residents do not use the
sewage system for their private purposes. Violators could be fined up to VND60
million (US$3,000), he said.

The Anti-Flood
Programme Management Centre will be asked to dredge certain canals in the city,
including Rach U Cay, Nhay, Ruot Ngua, Bau Trau, Tan Hoa-Lo Gom and Van Thanh,
which are in District 6, District 11 and Tan Phu District.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News