The underground water reservoir using Japanese Crosswave technology on Võ Văn Ngân Street in HCM City’s Thủ Đức District has been built and proved efficient in reducing flooding. — Photo www.sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City’s Steering Centre for the Urban Flood Control Programme has sought the People’s Committee’s approval to build five more underground reservoirs using Japanese Crosswave technology to prevent floods in the city.

Nguyễn Hoàng Anh Dũng, deputy director of the centre, said the first reservoir on Võ Văn Ngân Street in Thủ Đức District had been successfully trialed and it proved as effective as expected.

Completed last August, it can contain 109 cubic metres of water.

Dũng said streets in the area used to be frequently under 10-15cm of water it the rainfall reached 30 mm before the reservoir was built.

“After the reservoir was built, flooding has decreased significantly in terms of frequency, severity and area. It now takes rainfall of over 60mm to cause floods," he said.

The centre has conducted a survey and hired a consultancy to make plans for building similar reservoirs in flood-prone areas in five districts.

The locations are Hoàng Văn Thụ Park in Tân Bình District, Gò Vấp Floral Park Village in Gò Vấp District, a culture park in District 10, the central reservation on Phan Xích Long Street in Phú Nhuận District, and the area between the Ward 15 police station and Alley 48, Điện Biên Phủ Street, Bình Thạnh District.

With a combined designed capacity of 1,500-20,000 cubic metres, pumping stations and garbage collection systems, they will cost an estimated VNĐ475 billion (US$20.5 million) to build.

“When the reservoirs are built, people living in flood-prone areas will not suffer flooding any more,” Dũng said.

He said using Crosswave technology has many advantages like withstanding vehicles of over 25 tonnes weight and having 95 per cent of reservoir capacity for water storage.

“This is an effective solution when land in the city is limited.”

"It does not affect traffic flow or cause pollution, Crosswave modules can be reused and easily moved away in case of need," he said.

“Besides reducing floods, the underground reservoirs can store and supply water for irrigation and firefighting.”

Districts have supported the centre’s plan but are still undecided about the locations and modalities.

They said their ability to source new technologies was limited and so the centre should hand over the work to an investor to ensure efficiency.

District 10 sought details of how the technology works.

Hồ Phương, deputy chairman of the Bình Thạnh District’s People’s Committee, said it would not be feasible to build an underground reservoir on Điện Biên Phủ Street as proposed.

"Besides, it is not a flood-prone area," he said.

He suggested moving the reservoir to Alley 135 on Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh Street, which is frequently flooded during rains.

The Tân Bình District People's Committee also called for reconsidering the Hoàng Văn Thụ Park location.

Dũng said the centre and the Department of Planning and Investment would ask competent authorities to approve funds to complete the work in 2016-20. — VNS