HCM City (VNA) - Construction of 11 anti-flooding projects and oneenvironmental sanitation project costing more than 8 trillion VND (347.83million USD) will begin in HCM City before the end of the year, the municipalDepartment of Construction has said.
The southern city will spend 307 million USD on the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghewastewater treatment project - the most important element of the sanitation project.
According to architect and planning expert Ngo Viet Nam Son, the projects are avivid illustration of the city’s efforts to address its longstanding floodingproblem.
In addition to rapid population growth and climate change, a shortage of orpoor construction of existing anti-flooding works are the main causes of the severeinundation seen often in the city, he said.
Local residents are confronted by flooding in low lying areas and also incentral districts during the wet season. The problems are most pronounced betweenAugust and December, with high spring tides occurring twice a day for severaldays in a row. The main causes of the flooding are high tides, heavy rains, andsubstantial discharges of water from the Sai Gon and Dong Nai Rivers.
The floods have been intensified by sinking land and inadequate drainagesystems amid rapid urbanisation, according to local experts.
Many important anti-flooding projects are taking a long time to finish due todifficulties in capital and site clearance work. Implementation of drainagerehabilitation projects accounted for only 46 percent of planning by 2020.
A 10 trillion VND tidal control project was originally scheduled for completionby April 2018 but the actual date remains unknown as it has faced challenges insite clearance and capital.
The Department of Construction said the city has seen robust signs of tidalrehabilitation, with the number of inundated roads reduced to four as of theend of 2020 from 95 in 2008.
The city will also work to address drainage issues in central districts andadjacent areas./.