People in Ho Chi Minh City are beginning to feel most insecure while travelling on roads with depressions occurring along various routes, more frequently of late.
Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Streets along Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal are regularly facing depressions in spots.
On July 12, the pavement on Truong Sa Street in front of Phap Hoa Pagoda in Ward 14 of District 3 saw a sink hole with several cracks inside. The 0.5m deep hole measured 5m by 2m.
After the incident, relevant units examined the site and said the depression was caused by high tide water from Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal, which flowed between mangrove stakes along the canal embankment to wash soil debris over the pavement.
However, Saigon Giai Phong found this explanation unreasonable because the embankment is protected with concrete and not mangrove stakes.
Early the following day, another 1.5m long and 1m deep sink hole was spotted on Song Hanh Street in Tan Xuan Commune in Hoc Mon District.
Road depression has even taken place in District 1 which has the best quality infrastructure in the City. A 2m deep hole measuring 3m by 1.5m wide showed up on the crossroad of Ham Nghi and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Streets in Ben Nghe Ward, causing heavy traffic jam on June 29.
Vo Van Kiet Highway saw a two-square-meter sink hole in Ward 16 of District 8 on July 10. Water from the hole overflowed onto the street and several cracks were found on the nearby pavement.
Nearly 20 cases of road depressions have been recorded since early this year. However it has been difficult to place responsibilities.
HCMC now has more than 3,500km of road with interlacing sewer pipes, water supply, and electricity and telecommunication infrastructure systems. However they are not managed by a single organ but at least six different organs.
As a result, when depressions occur, none of these organs come forward to take responsibility.
The Department of Transport, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Steering Center for Urban Flood Control Program, Saigon Water Supply Corporation, and HCMC Power Corporation always give reasons to refuse their involvement in the case of depressions.
Some experts believe that the depressions are caused by several factors, with the main reasons being an inefficient water supply system which permits water to flow out and weaken the terrain; and from excessive exploitation of underground water.
