Work on HCM City's water drainage system has helped to stem flooding this year, but experts warn that more floods of a larger scale could reoccur if serious measures are not taken. According to the city's People's Committee, for the first six months of the year, flooded areas caused by heavy rainfall occurred at seven sites in the city, a decrease of 36.4% against the same period last year. High tides contributed to flooding at three sites, which was 25% fewer than last year. Despite the drop, heavy rains coupled with high tides could worsen flooding in the city centre during the peak of the rainy season, which usually occurs in September. "We are miserable every rainy season," said Tran Thi Tam, who lives on March 2 Street in District 11. "If we don't take precautions, flood waters flow into our houses." The city's Steering Centre for the Anti-Flooding Program said the cause was the inadequate drainage system. In addition, the renovation of canals in the city has been progressing slowly. About 75% of flooded sites are due to poor drainage. Many of the drains in these areas can only cope with daily rainfall of less than 80mm. Rainfall of more than 85mm has been occurring more recently, said the centre. The slow progress of renovation of canals, including the Tan Hoa – Lo Gom Canal, has also contributed to the slow drainage. This has caused flooding in districts 6, 10, 11, Tan Phu and Tan Binh. Do Tan Long, head of the center’s Drainage System Management Division, said it was urgent to improve the old drainage system and to dredge canals. High tides in seven inner city districts will be better controlled by the completion of a sluice gate system on the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal as well as the Binh Loi Sewer Project and the Binh Trieu Sluice Gate. The affected districts are 1, 3, 10, Binh Thanh, Tan Binh, Phu Nhuan and Go Vap. The People's Committee recently advanced more than VND40 billion ($1.9 million) from the city budget for the centre to implement flood-control projects this year. The amount will be used to upgrade drainage systems on the streets of Trang Tu, Tran Hung Dao, Duong Tu Giang in District 5, as well as Pham Dinh Ho and Tan Hoa Dong streets in District 6 and March 2 Street in District 11. The People's Committee has also advanced VND30 billion ($1.4 million) to Thu Duc District to speed up construction of dykes to prevent floods and erosion along the Sai Gon River in Linh Dong Ward. The committee has also petitioned the Prime Minister to add the city's two flood-control projects to the national climate-change response program so they will receive priority for investment capital. The two projects, which would control high tides, are the Vam Thuat and Nuoc Len sluice gates. The cost for the two totals VND813 billion ($38.7 million). (Vietnam News July 25)
