The HCM City Center for Flood Control Programs has proposed the city’s government build two reservoirs in Thu Duc and Binh Tan districts in a trial scheme to regulate rainwater and floodtides to control flooding.

Flood in HCM City.

Nguyen Ngoc Cong, deputy head of the center, told the Daily on Tuesday that the center was testing the underground water pipeline system in the city. If the two reservoirs are piloted successfully, the center will propose the city’s government to build some more reservoirs, mainly located in the outlying districts of Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh, he added.

According to Cong, reservoirs will be constructed based on the direction of water flows from north to south, or from Thu Duc District to Binh Thanh, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh districts.

“Building reservoirs in the north will help limit rainwater flows into the existing drainage system while reservoirs in the south will regulate floodtides for low-lying areas. The center late this year will present to the city a detailed plan about reservoirs to be built,” Cong said.

According to the center, amid the current climate change, it is necessary to ensure space for water absorption to reduce floods.

The center will also propose the city issue regulations requiring urban area and apartment projects of over 15-20 hectares to have the water control system, limiting water from urban areas to flow into the drainage system.

According to the center’s report on flood prevention presented at a meeting on Tuesday, the city has upgraded many streets that are regularly flooded, including Vu Tung and Ung Van Khiem in Binh Thanh District, Lanh Binh Thang and Hau Giang in District 6, Do Xuan Hop in District 9 and Quang Trung in Go Vap District.

Currently, HCMC is still having 34 road works under progress affecting the drainage system, most of which are water environment improvement and urban upgrade projects.

HCMC vice chairman Nguyen Huu Tin said at the meeting the city will finish upgrading 31 regularly-flooded places between now and 2015, with ten places completed this year.

SGT