The Hanoi Drainage Project for Environmental Improvement which was started more than a decade ago is still under progress while the capital's inadequate sewers are still unable to cope with heavy flooding.
Hanoi's streets can't cope with heavy flooding
The first phase of the project was carried out from 1995 to 2007. The second phase was started in 2008 and was expected to be completed in 2013 but its deadline has been extended several times. The city authorities plan to clear the canals, upgrade the sewers and the water-holding capacity of various lakes. However, ground clearance and resettlement of households has proved to be a huge challenge for the authorities.
Vo Tien Hung, director of Hanoi Sewerage and Drainage Company, said last year, they recorded 29 locations that were often flooded and had successfully dealt with 13.
"The sewer system is overloaded when it has to deal with heavy rains including rain for less than 40 minutes," he said. "It's because people still block the sewers when it rains with rubbish. In addition, rivers and canals are being affected by 17 on-going constructions inside the city."
He went on to say that 90 percent of the project had been completed and the streets would not be flooded when less than 10cm of rain fell per square metre in two hours. A stronger deluge would still cause problem. Hung promised to co-operate with the police and deploy personnel and equipment quickly to flooded locations for the coming monsoon season.
"But for a long-term solution, we have to build a new sewer system in flooded areas," he said.
