VietNamNet Bridge - The flooding in HCM City is becoming more serious despite money spent on solutions to prevent floods. The filling of canals with rubbish and the illegal building on waterway banks have both slowed canal drainage. 

A report of the HCMC Anti-flooding Center shows that the number of roads suffering from inundation in heavy rains and high tides had reached 59 by October 2016. 

Meanwhile, the figures were 50 in 2010, 32 in 2011, 21 in 2012 and 50 in 2013. 

The situation improved with only 10 roads flooded in 2015, but then unexpectedly rose to 59 by October 2016.

Hoang Minh Tri, deputy head of the HCMC Institute for Development Studies, attributes the serious flooding to the rapid urbanization and mismanagement.

Many lowland areas have become residential quarters and industrial zones in the last 20 years, thus prolonging water stagnation. Many reasons have been cited, including uncontrolled road excavation, littering and canal encroachment. 

The operation center of the city’s anti-flooding program said that the canal encroachment is the major cause of the flooding. 

The flooding in HCM City is becoming more serious despite money spent on solutions to prevent floods. The filling of canals with rubbish and the illegal building on waterway banks have both slowed canal drainage.

Appropriate agencies have discovered 87 positions where canals are encroached upon, having dealt with the problems in 29 positions and asked violators to fix problems in the other 58 positions. 

They have also found hundreds of positions where sewers, outlets and canals are occluded. As people set construction works on outlets and sewers, the drainage has become impossible. 

According to Do Tan Long from the center, the encroachment has existed for many years and violators have not rehabilitated the situation despite requests from the local authorities.

Outlet No 1 on Nguyen Huu Tho Road in district 7 was filled up by locals who set up a sewer instead. This has resulted in severe flooding on Nguyen Huu Tho Road section, from Kenh Te Bridge to Lotte Mart and the Road No 15.

“The occlusion and narrowing of the flow of outlets, manholes and drainage canals have affected the water drainage process and placed difficulties in the fight against flooding,” Long said.

“It is a must to rehabilitate the original situation to ensure water drainage,” he said, adding that this will depend on drastic measures to be taken by local authorities.

Ngo Viet Nam Son, a renowned architect in HCM City, pointed out that it was the loose management of local authorities which led to the problem. 

“Local authorities must claim responsibility before the city’s People’s Committee if they let people encroach upon canals and outlets,” he said.

Thanh Mai