Thousands of families in HCM City are living in houses which are as deep as trenches due to efforts to prevent flood tides.
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Sand bags, wood boards and water pumps on the ready
Most such houses are located in flood-prone areas including the section of Binh Doi Road ranging from Thanh Da market to Binh Quoi Ferry Station and Ngo Tat To Street in Wards 22 and 28 of Binh Thanh District; Ben Binh Dong and Pham The Hien Roads in District 8; Huynh Tan Phat Road in District 7, and several others in District 12, Thuc Duc, Tan Binh and Binh Chanh Disricts.
The situation is a result of consecutive and increasing flood tides which force local people to make barriers around their houses in order to prevent water from flowing into their homes.
Recent road construction in these areas has also made many foundations of homes lower than the road.
Nguyen Van Nhon, 81, who lives on Binh Quoi Road, in Binh Thanh District’s Ward 28 said, “My family has been living here for several generations. When I was a little boy, the foundation of my house was more than half a metre higher than the road, which protected us from floods. But now the increasingly high floods have forced the roads to higher levels, and now my house is half a metre below the street. This is a big problem for us, as during the flood seasons our house is often flooded and we have to pump water out.
"Because of their financial situation Nhon's family is not able to upgrade their premises.
Tran Van The who lives in a residential area in Tan Thoi Hiep Ward, District 12 said. “My family has rented this house for two years. Initially living here was quite comfortable. However, the house has been frequently flooded for over a year during the rainy season, damaging our belongings."
Many families without enough money to renovate their homes have no other choice but to put up flood barriers around their houses and construct makeshift alleys for their daily commutes.
