HCM City urged to adopt bold measures for flood control

Flood experts have called for the HCMC government to adopt drastic measures to control flooding here in the city; otherwise, the city will not be able to solve this chronic problem in future.

The HCMC Department of Transport invited 20 experts in irrigation, hydrometeorology, natural resources and environment to a seminar in the city last week to discuss possible measures for controlling worsening floods.

Le Hoang Minh, deputy director of the department, said the HCMC government needed experts and scientists to propose how to ease flooding caused by heavy rain and high tides in the city.

Minh pointed out the actual situation that rainfalls of 85 millimeters or higher alone overloaded the drainage system developed in the city in accordance with a zoning plan approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 752/2001/QD-TTg. Tide levels increase year after year but when 13 tide control sluices are completed remains unknown.

“Therefore, flood control is a hard nut to crack in the current context,” Minh said. “We request experts and scientists suggest measures and send them to the department and relevant agencies.”

There have been 36 downpours with average rainfall of over 85 millimeters in the city since 2006. Flood tides have risen since 2008, reaching an all-time high of 1.7 meters on October 10.

The funding of the irrigation project aimed to prevent flooding in HCMC has amounted to VND57.8 trillion from VND11 trillion. Five years after the project was approved by the Prime Minister, the city has completed only a small workload of the main components including building 149 kilometers of embankment along the banks of the Saigon River and nine big sluices to control flooding triggered by heavy rain and tides in the city.

A report presented by Do Tan Long, head of the water drainage department at the HCMC Steering Center for Flood Control, showed that the city needs to have 6,000 kilometers of sewer but less than 3,100 kilometers have been built. The city has been able to finalized construction of some 31 kilometers of embankment and only one sluice out of the 13 sluices.

Irrigation expert Le Thanh Cong, director of consulting firm D&C, said the city is executing major flood control projects without in-depth studies and will not address the flooding problem in the next 6-15 years.

Cong called for relevant agencies to invest heavily in thorough studies on the rainfall and flood tides as well as correct shortcomings in zoning plans on flood control in the city.

A local resident is free to move about unrestricted after testing negative for the deadly Ebola virus, say officials from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Ngo Thi Kim Yen, deputy director of the Danang health department said the quarantine order for Chu Van Chung has been removed but he must remain in the hospital and continue daily monitoring.

Chung will be discharged from the hospital if he continues to show no symptoms of the deadly virus during the 21-day incubation period under Ministry of Health guidelines, Yen said.

Chu Van Chung born in 1988 was admitted to Hoan My Hospital on November 1 after having high fever and showing symptoms of the Ebola disease.

Highway 1A stretch urgently needs repair

A portion of Highway 1A that runs through Long An's Ben Luc District is in need of repair and upgrade in order to reduce numerous road accidents there.

"The number of vehicles and travellers in Ben Luc District is increasing because the district is the gateway to HCM City," explained Phung Van On, deputy director of Long An's Traffic Safety Committee.

The presence of numerous potholes and the absence of strategically positioned streetlights has made a number of drivers lose control of their vehicles, leading to an increase in the number of road accidents there, On said.

The deputy director added that his committee recently urged the Fourth Road Management Department and the 76 Road Construction Company to upgrade the road and repair all damage.

Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy director of the Fourth Road Management Department under the Ministry of Transport, said the portion of the highway in question was last upgraded and expanded in 2000.

There had been no further construction on the road since then, Thanh revealed, adding that industrial zones and urban areas were built with low-quality drainage systems that held stagnant water and affected the road.

He noted that rainy and stormy weather also caused the road to crack, peel off and decline.

Thanh revealed that his Department had assigned its employees to repair the road and clear the drains to ensure that the road would be free of stagnant water.

He added that his department would implement a massive reconstruction of the road in February, to be funded by the State budget at a cost of VND 35 billion (US$1.66 million).

Thanh noted that a road construction project for a portion of Highway 1A running through Long An province was already being implemented at a cost VND 10 billion (US$476,000) and was expected to be completed by the end of December.

In addition, the department also proposed that provincial government agencies invest in a street lighting system to improve road visibility for drivers, the deputy director said.

Market Watch Department seizes millions of fake labels

The Ha Nois Market Watch Department seized millions of fake labels of well-known brands from two producers of counterfeit labels in Gia Lam Districts Ninh Hiep Market yesterday.

The counterfeit labels were of brands such as Burberry, D&G, GAP, Lacoste and Zara. The department also seized 1,125 coats tagged with fake Burberry labels, and 280 childrens clothes with counterfeit GAP labels from the spot.

The authorised agencies have finished preparing the legal documents for handling the fake goods as per the regulations.

Int’l Friendship Day to take place in Hanoi

International Friendship Day (IFD) 2014 will take place in Hanoi on November 29, providing a special place to gather alumni, entrepreneurs, and overseas Vietnamese people who want to contribute to the country’s development.

Themed “Leading entrepreneurs”, the IFD serves as a bridge to promote cultural exchange and tighten friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and other countries towards a peaceful and sustainable cooperation among nations.

It comprises of three main parts. The first part includes roundtable discussions on changes in the world and Vietnam’s development trend, overseas trained personnel- challenges and opportunities, and experience sharing among successful alumni.

The second part includes workshops with the following topics: finance and construction, tourism and hotel, marketing and communications and information technology and e-commerce.

The third part is a gala dinner, which will witness the establishment of the International Alumni Alliance to connect alumni globally.

The event is co-organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese (ALOV) and Alumni Associations of the UK, France, the US, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Russia.

Nearly 65% of population undiagnosed for diabetes

The incidence of diabetes in Vietnamese adults now stands at 5.42% and 65% of the population have not been screened for the disease, according to the Health Ministry.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reports there were 382 million people with diabetes in 2013 globally, causing 5.1 million deaths and a healthcare loss of about US$548 million.

The World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts diabetes will become the seventh leading cause of death in the world by 2030.

Diabetes is one of the common causes of morbidity and premature mortality in most countries, principally as a result of the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is also a leading cause of blindness, amputation and kidney failure.

Limited knowledge about diabetes, along with inadequate access to health services and essential medicines can lead to the aforesaid complications.

Results from a study of diabetes control conducted in 2010 in Ho Chi Minh City also pointed out that for every 10 patients diagnosed as diabetes, 6 have complications of type 3 diabetes.

A major challenge to health services for diabetes patients in Vietnam is a lack of qualified medical staff and updated knowledge about diabetes prevention and control.

Therefore, Vietnam has set a target of providing diabetes training courses for more than 200 teachers and 2,000 medical staff nationwide in the coming time for early detection and more effective treatment of people with diabetes.

Officials train for law enforcement

The 36th Asia Region Law Enforcement Management Programme opened at RMIT University in HCM City yesterday with 25 law enforcement officials from19 countries in the region attending.

Titled Countering Money Laundering this year, ARLEMP is a three-week training programme that helps build police co-operation to take on cross-border crimes such as drug trafficking, money laundering, cyber-crime, terrorism, and human trafficking.

In the past nine years over 650 police and law enforcement officials from 25 countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia and Australia have participated in the programme, including over 200 Vietnamese police.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner for Operation Sovereign Borders, Steve Lancaster, said: "Money laundering is the life blood of organised crime. Your job is to cut off the supply.

"We must all move to better understand money laundering and enhance our skills and improve our confidence to attack it. This is not only necessary, but is an essential capability now required of law enforcement agencies operating in the transnational criminal environment."

Lieutenant General Trieu Van Dat, deputy director general of Viet Nam's Police General Department on Crime Prevention and Suppression, said: "Money laundering not only helps criminals hide the origin of the illegal assets but also provide grounds for them to enjoy those assets and reinvest the assets which have been laundered into other criminal activities."

He encouraged participants to exchange knowledge and experiences and become a positive factor in their countries' fight against organised crime.

RMIT Viet Nam President Professor Gael McDonald said the university is proud to be an educational partner in the effort for cross-border collaboration across law enforcement agencies.

"Our approach involves engaging with ARLEMP participants to share experiences and ask questions to improve the global criminal justice response to significant international issues such as money laundering."

Through their coordinated efforts ARLEMP graduates are mobilising successful actions to combat serious organised crime including money laundering, people smuggling, and human trafficking.

Poor people forage in bird sanctuary

The Tam Nong Bird Sanctuary in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is allowing poor people in the neighbourhood to enter the park to earn a livelihood during the annual flooding season.

Nguyen Van Hung, the park director, said 177 poor families from five communes have been allowed in the park buffer zone from 6am to 6pm every day to fish and collect wood and vegetables, but are ordered to strictly observe the laws on protecting resources.

Their permits were aimed at minimising illegal entry into the park and possible destruction of natural resources, he explained.

Duong Van Thang, a local resident, earns a living by doing odd jobs. But in the flood season, he finds it hard to find any job.

"Thanks to the permit issued by the bird sanctuary, we can enter it to catch snails and collect vegetables, earning around VND100,000 a day, enough to support my family," Hung said.

Tam Nong Bird Sanctuary, situated in what used to be called Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds), is home to 250 species of water birds, over 100 freshwater fish, and 32 rare birds.

The national park, which also has nearly 3,000ha of cajaput and more than 1,000ha of wild rice and weeds, is a natural habitat for many birds and animals.

With its unique fauna and flora, the sanctuary became Viet Nam's fourth Ramsar site and the 2,000th world-wide.

Roadworks pose threat in Ba Ria–Vung Tau

The number of accidents on National Route 51 in the southern province of Ba Ria–Vung Tau has spiked in recent years because of poor traffic safety management and frequent construction projects, according to the provincial Department of Transport.

Traffic collisions have increased despite the fact that Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway Development JSC spent the last five years upgrading and widening the route.

Construction crews worked on the road without warning signs, and broken traffic signs and drainage nets remained unfixed for long periods of time.

Poor traffic light systems and not enough street lights made the intersections between the national route and provincial routes especially dangerous. Many parts of the route would flood during heavy rains because they lacked drainage systems, and other incorrectly installed water drainage systems damaged agricultural lands near the road in Ba Ria City.

"Local citizens have made numerous complaints but the development authority has not taken measures to address the flooding," said Vu Ngoc Thao, director of the Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province's Department of Transport.

Hospital opens reproductive technology centre

The Vinmec International Hospital opened its reproductive technology centre last Saturday, bringing the total number of such centres in the country to 21.

The centres aim to help infertile couples in Viet Nam have babies. Equipped with advanced medical facilities, the centre at Vinmec will provide consulting and examination services on reproductive and andrological health to couples, especially infertile ones.

Advanced genetic and stem cell techniques will be used for couples with sperm and ovarial disfunction diseases.

A survey of the health sector in 2012 showed that Viet Nam has about one million infertile couples, making up 7.7 per cent of the total number of couples of reproductive age in the country.

An estimated 60 per cent of infertile couples need reproductive support measures to have a baby. Numerous Vietnamese couples had to go abroad for artificial insemination that costs at least US$10,000 per couple.

Four killed as car slides off cliff

At least four people were killed and three others were injured after a car fell off a cliff in the Lac Duong District of Lam Dong Province.

Eyewitnesses said Lo Mu Ha Mich, 21, of Da Nghit Hamlet in Lat Commune, Lac Duong District was driving his seven-seat car (UAZ-469) down a road along a pine forest, with six other workers after a day of harvesting coffee when the brakes malfunctioned.

The passengers were from other parts of the country and came here to work about a month ago. The injured were taken to Lam Dong General Hospital.

Military official killed in motorcycle accident

A high-ranking official of the Ben Tre Military Command Headquarters was killed in a motorcycle accident here yesterday.

According to reports, the accident occurred at 6:45 a.m. on National Highway 60, at the intersection of Son Dong Commune here.

Col. Chau Minh Tam, deputy head of the Ben Tre Military Command Headquarters, was a passenger on the motorcycle that stopped at the intersection as the traffic light turned yellow, but an apparently overspeeding truck suddenly collided with the motorcycle.

Tam died of unspecified injuries. The motorcycle driver was seriously injured while the truck driver fled. Police are investigating the case.

Drunken Russian tourist attacks Vietnam Airlines stewardess, passengers

A drunken Russian tourist caused disorder and physically attacked an air hostess and passengers aboard a Vietnam Airlines flight departing yesterday from Domodedovo International Airport of Russia to Ho Chi Minh City.

The Russian passenger is Sergei Samokhin, 32, on the flight coded VN060.

Around four hours after leaving the Russian airport, Samokhin showed signs of being under the influence and began disrupting the flight.

Air hostesses warned him but he kept causing disorder. When the chief flight attendant came, he began attacking her and other passengers.

The case was reported to the chief pilot, who decided to apply precautionary measures by allowing stewards to bind him to a seat in the rear row. Five other Russian passengers helped send him to the back area.

Two hours and thirty minutes later, Samokhin sobered up and expressed his regret. He was then untied and allowed to return to his seat.

The flight landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City at 8:30 am this morning.

While working with airport security forces, the Russian tourist repented of his fault. His female companion said that he had used tranquillizers.

He was allowed to enter Vietnam after all.

Airport authorities have announced that they will issue a decision tomorrow to fine him VND3-5 million (US$144-240).

Olympiad winners, excellent students honoured

Fifty international Olympiad medallists and students who achieved the best results in the 2014 university entrance exam were honoured at a ceremony in Hanoi on November 3.

Over the past two years, all Vietnamese representatives at regional and international Olympiad contests have brought home glory. This year, they won 12 golds and 21 silvers, said Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan.

The Prime Minister awarded certificates of merit to 11 Olympiad gold medal winners.

Other prize-winners and the 10 students with the best scores among 1 million high school graduates sitting for the university entrance this year were granted certificates of merit by the Ministry of Education and Training.

All the students also received rewards from the ministry and several donors.

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan took the podium and told the audience that based on nation-wide support, the process of overhauling education-training radically and thoroughly is sure to be a success.

He urged the students to make further efforts, well equipping themselves for professional careers in the future and contributing to the nation.

HCMC police apprehend man who stole iPhone 5 from British woman

Police in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday afternoon arrested a young street criminal and recovered an iPhone 5 he had snatched from a British woman earlier the same day.

Police in Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1 on Saturday morning said they have handed over to the district’s investigation police agency Nguyen Van Loc, 24, who was detained for stealing a cellphone from 22-year-old Lauren Robsom, of British nationality, on October 31.

Loc will be charged with “property robbery by snatching,” pursuant to Article 136 of the Penal Code.

According to the case file, at about 2:00 pm on Friday, Loc, after driving along a number of streets on a motorbike looking for ‘prey,’ reached 23/9 Park in the ward and saw Robsom sitting on a sidewalk talking on the phone.

Loc approached her and snatched the phone from the woman's hand. He then sped away while Robsom loudly shouted for help.

After hearing her shouts, Pham Trong Nghia, 25, and Nguyen Tan Tai, 26, two passers-by on a motorbike, immediately chased after Loc.   

Eventually the pair caught up with Loc, and with the help of some locals, seized him.

Loc was handed over to local police and confessed to the crime. Police recovered the cellphone and returned it to the British woman.

Many similar cases have recently occurred in the city and District 1 police on October 23 issued leaflets on safety tips to foreign visitors, especially those staying in the ‘backpacker area’ in the said ward.

The leaflets provide advice to foreign visitors on six things they should do to protect themselves from snatches, fraud, and other problems during their stay in the city.

These leaflets were handed out to foreign visitors and also to many hotels and restaurants in Pham Ngu Lao Ward.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Phuoc, most foreigners who received the leaflets were very happy and showed appreciation for the effort by police to ensure safety for foreign travelers.

However, Phuoc said on Wednesday that the leaflet distribution had been halted following differing responses from the public, VnExpressnewswire reported.

Many have expressed their approval of this move by police officers, while others say it would demean the police force and create a culture of fear among foreign visitors.

Regarding this issue, Pham Thanh Kien, chairman of the District 1 People's Committee, said that the leaflet distribution was aimed at encouraging foreign visitors and local residents to enhance their vigilance against crime, which is on the rise in the area.

In order to ensure safety for foreign visitors, the issuance of warnings to foreigners will be resumed in the future, but such warnings will be presented more suitably in both form and content, Kien said.

The new warnings will be given to foreigners through hotels, travel firms, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, and other agencies, he added.

Banned three-wheeled vehicles keep running

People in Hanoi's Gia Lam District have been using home-made three-wheeled motorbikes without registering them as mini-buses for students while police turn a blind eye.

This service started in Duong Xa Commune about three years ago. The vehicles can carry from 10 to 15 passengers each. One man, Nguyen Dinh Tham, who claims to have been the first person to make these vehicles, said, "The first one of these I saw came from China and was used to transport wounded soldiers, so it didn't have to be registered. The other two, i had assembled by a little workshop for around VND10-15 million (USD476-714). The engines and brakes are pretty low-quality."

Another driver said that he charges students between VND100,000 and 300,000, depending on the distance. He added that he mainly provided his services to relatives and has not had any accidents.

Nguyen Thi Ha, a citizen of Duong Xa Commune, was not so appreciative of this means of transport, fearing that it could lead to accidents from overloading. Vice Chairwoman of Duong Xa Primary School Nguyen Thi Hien, said they have asked parents not to use these type of services.

At the same time, the local authorities and police claim there is no problem with the vehicles in their area. Nguyen Huu Hien, deputy head of the traffic police in Gia Lam District said that patrol officers have reported no incidents. "We would obviously seize these vehicles and fine the drivers, but most of them we found have belonged to veterans to carry their own families. We haven't found any cases where they are used for profit," he said.

Tran Ky Hinh, the head of Vietnam Register, said this type of homemade vehicle has been banned for a long time, and wounded soldiers are only allowed to use three-wheeled bikes for their own transportation. They are forbidden for use in carrying goods or passengers.

Residents urged to conserve rainwater for household use

The HCM City Climate Change Steering Board has suggested that residents collect rainwater for household use as a way to reduce flooding and save clean water.

The steering board has asked permission from the municipal People's Committee to conduct research on the feasibility of the proposal.

Nguyen Trung Viet, head of the city's Climate Change Bureau, was quoted as saying in Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper that rainwater in HCM City contained few toxic substances and was basically clean.

The rainwater was relatively clean because most of the city's 500,000 automobiles meet the Euro 2 gas emission standards, he said. The city has more than 5 million motorbikes, but the bikes have small engines and do not emit much exhaust.

The rainy season in the city lasts six months a year, with an annual rainfall of 1,800 -2,200mm. In recent years, climate change has increased the number of rains as well as rains with more than 100mm of rainfall.

With the increase in population, the demand for clean water for household use has increased.

The second phase of the Sai Gon River Water Plant with a capacity of 300,000cu.m a day is already underway.

Under the board's proposal, rainwater would be used to irrigate plants and clean houses. Later, if the rainwater is filtered and preserved properly, it could be used like tap water.

Flooding in HCM City has also been caused by old, inefficient water drains in three of five basins. The water drainage systems of Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe, Tan Hoa-Lo Gom and Tau Hu-Ben Nghe canal basins, for example, were designed to handle rains that have a rainfall of 75mm over a three-hour period. However, the number of rains has increased.

The three basins account for 70 per cent of the city's area.

Le Hoang Minh, deputy head of the city Department of Transport's Flooding Prevention Division, said rainwater collection would not be easy.

He said that it would be easier to place the containers for rainwater under homes or in yards, rather than on house roofs.

To encourage people to collect rainwater, the city should develop policies to support households who build containers, he said.

Ho Long Phi, director of the Centre of Water Management and Climate Change under the Viet Nam National University of HCM City, agreed that rainwater collection could help reduce flooding.

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