Anxious when it rains heavily

Although a number of renovation and investment projects have been implemented, the problem of drainage, wastewater treatment and urban flooding in Hai Phong still has not been fully solved, making people always worried every time there is heavy rain.

The area under Lac Long bridge (Hong Bang ward) is often flooded due to heavy rain or high tide.

16 local flooding points

On the afternoon of August 16, a sudden heavy rain lasted only about an hour, but the entire area of ​​​​312, Hung Vuong Street was flooded, some places up to 30-40 cm. Many low-lying sections, large trucks moving created waves that flooded into houses on both sides of the road. Some vehicles such as electric bicycles, motorbikes, 4-seat cars were forced to turn around and find another direction to move...

Ms. Le Thi Thanh, owner of a coffee shop in this area, said that just a little rain can cause the road to flood, a situation that has lasted for decades and is getting more and more serious. The People's Committee of Hong Bang Ward identified this as one of the "black spots" of flooding that has existed for many years but has not yet had a complete solution. The main cause is the low-lying terrain, along with the drainage system that has not been renovated in time to meet the speed of urban development.

Hai An ward is considered the "navel" of the central urban area in the East of the city. After heavy rains in the past 3 years, many places in the area have been flooded. Among them, there are some "black spots" such as: Do Nhuan street area, 333 Van Cao street, Tay Trung Hanh, Trung Luc, Tran Don areas, project area 833 Thu Trung street... Vice Chairman of Hai An ward People's Committee Vu Doan Dung said that the drainage system in the area is mainly an old system, after being upgraded to a ward and merged, there has not been any major investment project. The main form of drainage is surface drainage, through the system of canals, ponds and lakes. However, with the rapid urbanization, ponds and lakes are filled in, canals are narrowed and hardened, limiting the drainage capacity. The whole ward only has 1 Cat Bi regulating lake with an area of ​​5.3 hectares, so installing an additional pumping station is difficult...

In addition to Hai An and Hong Bang, other wards in the east of the city such as Le Chan, Do Son, Hung Dao, Gia Vien are also affected by urban flooding. According to the Department of Construction, when heavy rains of over 50 mm coincide with high tides, about 16 "black spots" of local flooding will appear in the city, with an average flooding level of 30 - 80 cm.

From area 312 Hung Vuong street to the intersection of Nam Binh bridge is a "black spot" of flooding in Hong Bang ward.

Upgrading drainage infrastructure must be one step ahead

Recently, the City People's Council's Supervisory Delegation surveyed the actual drainage and wastewater treatment work, and assessed the drainage system in the eastern part of Hai Phong, which was built during the French period. Although it has been renovated and upgraded, most of it is patchwork, not uniform, with a small cross-section, unable to meet the rapid urbanization speed. Many areas have low-lying terrain, with ground levels lower than sea level; while ponds, lakes, canals, and vacant lots that are used to drain surface water have been filled, concreted, or built with box culverts, limiting drainage capacity. In addition, the drainage system is also affected by the diurnal regime; when heavy rains combine with high tides, rising sea levels, and floods from upstream, many streets and residential areas are partially flooded.

Truong Chinh Street, Kien An Ward is a place prone to local flooding.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Construction Nguyen Minh Tuan, to overcome the current urban flooding situation, Hai Phong needs to invest in a new pipeline system, add regulating lakes and rainwater pumping stations. With the "black spots" of flooding, more drastic solutions are needed, even renovating the entire drainage system on main traffic axes. This is a difficult task, requiring large investment resources and will directly affect traffic and people's lives, but it cannot be delayed. In the context of rapidly expanding urban space, the need to upgrade drainage infrastructure must be one step ahead to meet the city's development.

Since 2018, the eastern area of ​​Hai Phong has had a drainage plan. After the merger, it is necessary to review and update it to match the population size, urbanization speed and ensure the overall and synchronous nature according to the City Master Plan being implemented. The plan must clearly define the land fund for the regulating lake, drainage system, and at the same time set up management markers to preserve the land fund, avoid encroachment causing additional costs later.

Before the merger, in order to fundamentally handle the "black spots" of flooding in the East of the city, the Department of Construction has advised to include 4 projects in the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2026 - 2030, with a total cost of about 1,560 billion VND. In addition, there are 2 projects with foreign loans: the Hai Phong City Development Project to Adapt to Climate Change and the Project for Sustainable Development of the Southeast of Hai Phong City. Localities recommended that the city continue to review and evaluate feasibility, and at the same time prioritize the allocation of public investment capital for the period 2026 - 2030 to soon improve the flooding situation in this area.

MAGLANCANNA

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/thap-thom-khi-mua-lon-521480.html