Preventing urban flooding in the rainy season: Need to be thorough and synchronous

For a long time, the densely populated urban areas of Dong Nai province have faced a difficult problem every rainy season: flooding on traffic routes. This situation not only causes traffic congestion, affecting the daily lives of people, but also poses a potential safety risk.

The Flood Control Project on Hong Thap Tu Street (Long Khanh Ward) has just started. Photo: Minh Hanh

Faced with that situation, the government and relevant agencies have made continuous efforts, implementing a series of drastic and synchronous solutions, gradually finding a solution to the "problem" of preventing urban flooding.

Hot issue after the rain

In the early days of August 2025, when heavy rains fell, the story of flooding on key traffic routes in urban areas of Dong Nai province became a "hot" issue, causing concern for people and a big challenge for the management of local authorities. Flooding not only occurred in low-lying areas, but also spread to many key traffic routes, hindering traffic activities and daily activities of people.

Flooded areas after heavy rain were recorded as: Trang Dai intersection (Trang Dai ward and Tan Trieu ward), Dong Khoi street (Tam Hiep ward), National Highway 51 (Long Hung ward), National Highway 1 (Long Binh ward and Tam Hiep ward), Tran Phu - Ly Thai To intersection (Nhon Trach commune), Hung Vuong street (through Nhon Trach commune and Phuoc An commune)... These are all places where just a heavy rain can cause vehicles and pedestrians to have difficulty moving through the floodwaters.

According to the Department of Construction, one of the reasons for this situation is that the urban drainage system in Dong Nai has not kept up with the rapid development of infrastructure, population and traffic. In many places, the sewer and ditch systems can only partially drain the flow when there is unusually heavy rain, causing water to easily stagnate over large areas.

Besides the infrastructure factor, another very important cause that can be clearly seen after each rain is people's awareness. On many roads, sewers and ditches are equipped with iron covers to drain rainwater, but the common image is that every time it rains, a large amount of waste... flows with the water and sticks to the sewers and drainage ditches, hindering the drainage process.

Mr. Cao Cong Hau (residing in Long Hung ward) said: “Every time there is heavy rain, the area near Long Binh Tan market and Highway 51 is flooded. Sometimes the flood is so deep that vehicles stall, forcing people to walk, posing a risk of accidents because they cannot see the “potholes” and deep holes under the water.”

To completely solve the problem of flooding in Dong Nai's urban areas, a comprehensive strategy is needed, including investment, upgrading infrastructure, applying modern technology in regulation, warning and most importantly, raising awareness of each citizen. Only when the government, functional agencies and people act together, can Dong Nai limit flooding even on days of heavy rain, moving towards a more modern urban appearance.

Government and people together to fight floods

Faced with the frequent flooding on the above-mentioned routes, the authorities and functional agencies of Dong Nai province have made continuous efforts to deploy synchronous solutions from short to long term to overcome and minimize this situation. In addition to infrastructure construction projects, warning work, traffic regulation and raising public awareness are also given special attention.

Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Council of Phuoc An Commune, Do Huy Khanh, said: Key routes at risk of deep flooding such as areas near canals, or low-lying intersections are all deployed with police, militia and rapid response teams to direct traffic and guide vehicles to move safely. At the same time, the local government also promptly announced and proposed flexible traffic control plans, helping people quickly grasp information to have reasonable travel plans.

Chairman of Trang Dai Ward People's Committee Nguyen Dinh Kien said: The government has mobilized people to check, clean, collect garbage and covering objects at water intakes that obstruct drainage. In particular, people need to put household garbage in the right place, at the right collection time of the environmental sanitation unit, not leave garbage at water intakes that obstruct drainage, ensure effective water collection, limit flooding when there is heavy rain.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai (residing in Tran Bien ward) said: "To solve the "problem" of flooding in urban areas, the cooperation of the community is needed. Especially, raising people's awareness in maintaining environmental hygiene, not littering, along with close coordination between functional agencies in the management and supervision of the construction of flood prevention projects".

In the long term, many flood prevention projects have been and are being implemented. Typically, the Project to Upgrade the Traffic Road and Drainage System of the Red Cross Route (Long Khanh Ward) or the Project to Prevent Flooding at Chua Stream, Ba Lua Stream and Cau Quan Stream (through Phuoc Tan Ward and Long Hung Ward) are also being accelerated.

Dang Tung

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/202508/chong-ngap-do-thi-mua-mua-can-triet-de-va-dong-bo-7a7274d/