VietNamNet Bridge - HCMC residents were reassured that they would not see floods again after multi-billion dong anti-flood works became operational. But floods have become even more serious.

Floods have come even more serious

On April 19, 2018, a contract was signed between the Quang Trung Industry Corporation and HCMC authorities under which the former will lease its high-capacity pump which will be used to fight floods on Nguyen Huu Canh street. 

The ‘super-pump’ has 30 times higher capacity than other pumps available in HCMC. The system is regulated by a centrifugal pump which can absorb water with the capacity of 27,000-96,000 cubic meters per hour, and runs with oil or electricity. The pump draws water from low to high places and links with sluices in the city.

The smart pump system was expected to regulate capacity according to water content and flooding levels. Once operational, the machine can pump and filter garbage automatically. 

It can operate in all areas, including ones with unfavorable conditions such as high tides. It needs about VND5 million worth of fuel to pump water after a rain.

However, the super-pump cannot help much. Nguyen Huu Canh street has many times turned into a ‘river’ this rainy season. Nguyen Tang Cuong, director of Quang Trung Corporation, said the heavy rains caused floods though the pump was operating at full capacity.

In August 2017, Sekisui Company from Japan and its Vietnamese partner VMC Group installed a ‘smart’ flood control reservoir on Vo Van Ngan street, in front of the Children’s Cultural Palace in Thu Duc district. The underground reservoir has a capacity of 109 cubic meters.

According to the Steering Center of the Urban Flood Control Program, the reservoir aims at minimizing inundation on Vo Van Ngan Street and nearby locations. However, in fact, the street was still severely inundated after heavy rains.

HCMC is building six conduits to prevent high tides and fight inundation in Ben Nghe, Phu Xuan, Tan Thuan, Muong Chuoi, Cay Kho and Phu Dinh, each of which is 40-160 meters wide, and 8 kilometers of embankment.

The city’s residents call this a ‘super project’ because of its huge investment capital of VND10 trillion which aims to control floods caused by high tides, and to adapt to climate change for an area of 570 square kilometers with 6.5 million people.

The project kicked off in June 26, 2016 and is expected to be completed on April 30, 2018. 

However, Trung Nam Group, the project investor, in late April, informed HCMC authorities about the halt of project implementation.

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