VietNamNet Bridge – Hoang Van Thang, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, speaks about the latest flood control work along the Bui River in Hanoi’s outlying district of Chuong My.

Hoang Van Thang

What’s your assessment of the negative impacts of the heavy rains that hit Hanoi’s outlying district of Chuong My in the last few days?

Following the third tropical storm to hit the country this year on July 17 in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An, many northern provinces were inundated by heavy rains. As a result, some sections of the dyke system were close to breaching.

Some people have complained that heavy sediment has seriously impacted the river’s flow. At present, water from the Bui River runs into the Tich River and then to the Day River, and drainage from other rivers depends very much on the Day River. In addition, the Day River is also a catchment zone for the Hoang Long River.

On Tuesday, a large volume of water ran down to the Day River from the Ho Chi Minh Highway and rivers in Ninh Binh. Though the Day River is connected with the Red River, the water flow was very weak.

As we all know, Vietnam is crisscrossed with rivers, but in recent years mushrooming infrastructure projects have encroached upon many rivers and blocked the water flow. This is an issue that we need to look at carefully.

High water levels in the Bui River have caused many problems for people living in Chuong My District. How have these problems been addressed?

On Tuesday, an inspection team visited Chuong My District. When we were there, a 40-50cm wall of sandbags was erected along the river by soldiers.

People living next to the Bui River have been kept updated about water levels, and we have plans in place to evacuate the area if necessary. All in all, we are well prepared.

What challenges does Hanoi face as it tries to prepare for flood scenarios?

Hanoi is a big city. Flood water depends very much on its surrounding rivers. That’s why it is a very important task for municipal authorities to consolidate the city’s infrastructure.

It is high time for us to develop a topographical map so we can develop plans for the flood season.

Of course, we also need to integrate the task of natural disaster prevention with land management and infrastructure construction. More importantly is that if we want to build a new road or urban area, we must look at water drainage systems.

What we need to do right now is provide people in Chuong My District with clean water and advise them on how to prevent diseases after the water recedes. Last but not least, authorities will need to help people to repair their damaged houses.

At the moment, I can say everything is under control.

Source: VNS