Last year Ho Chi Minh City was able to tackle 39 of the 70 flood prone spots in the city, and this year the target is to reduce 10 more, according to the Regulation Centre of the Flood Prevention Programme.
Nguyen Huu Tin, deputy chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee stated this at a meeting on April 4, to summarise one year since the programme’s implementation.
Last year, the city upgraded its drainage system to deal with rain and wastewater in the inner city area and built an irrigation system to cope with tides that have increasingly been affecting the city.
The city has also dredged canals and installed sluice gates to act as outlets along river banks, to reduce flooding during high tides.
At the meeting, deputy chairman Tin asked the centre to focus on measures to tackle 10 more flood-prone spots this year.
He also said that chairmen of districts’ people’s committees will have to bear responsibility for unchecked wastewater release in their areas.
Flood prevention has been one of the biggest headaches for Ho Chi Minh City authorities in recent years. Residents have to face and suffer flooding every year during the rainy season.
Causes of flooding include high tide, heavy rainfall, high discharge flow from upstream rivers, insufficient capacity of the drainage system, low ground elevation in the city, spatial planning, poor policies and regulations, lack of public awareness and participation.
