Ly Thuong Kiet Street in central Ha Noi was flooded during the rainy season last year ( Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Thecapital city of Hanoi’s overloaded drainage system will struggle to cope withthe rainy season this year, putting as many as 18 locations at risk offlooding, officials have warned.
Hanoi’s urbanisation process is happening so fast that thedrainage infrastructure is unable to keep pace, said Vo Tien Hung, Director ofthe Hanoi Sewerage and Drainage Limited Company.
“It (the drainage system) works when there is 500mm of rainfall orless per two hours.
“But during extreme weather, rainfall can reach over 100mm in 40minutes, overwhelming the system.”
Some 13-15 storms and tropical depressions are expected to occurduring the season, according to the National Centre for Hydro-MeteorologicalForecasting. Their patterns can prove difficult to predict, since this is thethird consecutive year that the El Nino phenomenon is occurring in Vietnam, thecentre said.
Eleven of the eighteen locations highly likely to suffer floodingduring prolonged downpours are located in the To Lich River Basin, it said.
These include the Phan Boi Chau – Ly Thuong Kirt intersection, the Duong Thanh – Bat Dan – Nha Hoa – Cao Ba Quat intersection, as well as thestreets of Doi Can, Thuy Khue, Minh Khai, Nguyen Chinh, Thanh Dam, Truong Chinh,Nguyen Khuyen, and the stretch of Giai Phong Street in front of the busterminal.
Three other locations are in the Long Bien basin of the Red River,including Ngoc Lam ward and Hoang Nhu Tiep and Co Linh streets.
The four remaining locations are in the basin on the right banksof the Nhue River, including the Hoa Bang and Pham Van Dong streets in Cau Giaydistrict; and in the Ha Dong basin of the Red River, including the Quang Trung– Phan Dinh Giot intersection and the area in front of the Yen Nghia BusStation.
The locations in Ha Dong district will be especially hard tomanage due to the lack of information on the district’s drainage system, saidLe Vu Quang Xuong, vice director of the company.
“The previous management unit of the system, the Ha Dong UrbanEnvironment Joint Stock Company, did not hand over the technical documents,” heexplained. “Now we have to start over.”
Inspections carried out by the city last year show that some ofits irrigation constructions were built some 60-70 years ago with outdatedtechnologies and equipment.
The Nhue River system from Ring Road 4 to Lien Mac ward in Bac TuLiem district has not been dredged for a long time, and will be unable to drainwater for inner-city areas and the districts of Hoai Duc and Dan Phuong, saidChu Phu My, deputy director of the city’s Department of Agricultural and RuralDevelopment.
A majority of the 95 detention basins in the city have earth damsthat have eroded and downgraded over time, and their water retention capacityis very weak, he said at a recent meeting with city leaders on natural disasterprevention and mitigation activities for this year.
Nguyen Van Suu, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee,said the city needs to prepare financial and human resources to respond tonatural disasters in a timely manner.
Localities should inspect and review all dykes and locations thatare prone to landslides and floods and report to the city before April 30, hesaid.
Remote sensing operations should be carried out and rescue teamsshould be on constant alert, he added.-VNA
Hanoi’s urbanisation process is happening so fast that thedrainage infrastructure is unable to keep pace, said Vo Tien Hung, Director ofthe Hanoi Sewerage and Drainage Limited Company.
“It (the drainage system) works when there is 500mm of rainfall orless per two hours.
“But during extreme weather, rainfall can reach over 100mm in 40minutes, overwhelming the system.”
Some 13-15 storms and tropical depressions are expected to occurduring the season, according to the National Centre for Hydro-MeteorologicalForecasting. Their patterns can prove difficult to predict, since this is thethird consecutive year that the El Nino phenomenon is occurring in Vietnam, thecentre said.
Eleven of the eighteen locations highly likely to suffer floodingduring prolonged downpours are located in the To Lich River Basin, it said.
These include the Phan Boi Chau – Ly Thuong Kirt intersection, the Duong Thanh – Bat Dan – Nha Hoa – Cao Ba Quat intersection, as well as thestreets of Doi Can, Thuy Khue, Minh Khai, Nguyen Chinh, Thanh Dam, Truong Chinh,Nguyen Khuyen, and the stretch of Giai Phong Street in front of the busterminal.
Three other locations are in the Long Bien basin of the Red River,including Ngoc Lam ward and Hoang Nhu Tiep and Co Linh streets.
The four remaining locations are in the basin on the right banksof the Nhue River, including the Hoa Bang and Pham Van Dong streets in Cau Giaydistrict; and in the Ha Dong basin of the Red River, including the Quang Trung– Phan Dinh Giot intersection and the area in front of the Yen Nghia BusStation.
The locations in Ha Dong district will be especially hard tomanage due to the lack of information on the district’s drainage system, saidLe Vu Quang Xuong, vice director of the company.
“The previous management unit of the system, the Ha Dong UrbanEnvironment Joint Stock Company, did not hand over the technical documents,” heexplained. “Now we have to start over.”
Inspections carried out by the city last year show that some ofits irrigation constructions were built some 60-70 years ago with outdatedtechnologies and equipment.
The Nhue River system from Ring Road 4 to Lien Mac ward in Bac TuLiem district has not been dredged for a long time, and will be unable to drainwater for inner-city areas and the districts of Hoai Duc and Dan Phuong, saidChu Phu My, deputy director of the city’s Department of Agricultural and RuralDevelopment.
A majority of the 95 detention basins in the city have earth damsthat have eroded and downgraded over time, and their water retention capacityis very weak, he said at a recent meeting with city leaders on natural disasterprevention and mitigation activities for this year.
Nguyen Van Suu, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee,said the city needs to prepare financial and human resources to respond tonatural disasters in a timely manner.
Localities should inspect and review all dykes and locations thatare prone to landslides and floods and report to the city before April 30, hesaid.
Remote sensing operations should be carried out and rescue teamsshould be on constant alert, he added.-VNA
VNA
