The Trần Phú Street in Ninh Kiều District, Cần Thơ City is being upgraded to minimise flooding during heavy rains and high tides. Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY — Several Mekong Delta localities are urgently upgrading many roads in order to prevent and minimise flooding impacts.

Đào Văn Bình, director of Project Management Board 8, said his agency was speeding up work with anti-flood projects on the National Highway No 1 section running through the provinces of Tiền Giang and Vĩnh Long as well as the cities of Cần Thơ, and Cà Mau.

Bình said about 10 flood-prone areas in the above-mentioned provinces and cities need new drainage systems.

"The total investment in flood control for these 10 areas is about VNĐ205 billion," he added.

The National Highway No 1 which west runs from HCM City, is often flooded during heavy rains and high tides. In some localities like Vĩnh Long, Tiền Giang and Cà Mau, there are times when the highway is under more than half a meter of water.

In Cần Thơ City’s Ninh Kiều area many roads are degraded and prone to frequent flooding. The city is planning to upgrade drainage systems along these roads.

Lữ Quốc Việt, director of Ninh Kiều District Land Fund Development and Project Management Board, said that a part of Nguyễn Văn Cừ Street from Rạch Ngỗng 2 bridge to Nguyễn Văn Linh intersection was being repaired and upgraded, with work expected to be completed in May.

The upgrade of the sewer system of Trần Phú Street is also being accelerated to meet its July deadline, he added.

Đoàn Thanh Tâm - deputy director of Cần Thơ City's ODA Project Management Board, said that they were building a new drainage system for 30 roads in Ninh Kiều District, including Phan Đình Phùng, Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh , Lý Tự Trọng and Nguyễn An Ninh.

Construction of these projects is expected to start at the beginning of the third quarter and be completed in 2024, Tâm said.

In Cà Mau, after recent rains, many roads were flooded, making it difficult for people to move about. Flooding at the Phan Ngọc Hiển - Trần Hưng Đạo intersection and the streets of Bùi Thị Trường, Nguyễn Ngọc Sanh and Đinh Tiên Hoàng was severe.

Lê Tuấn Hải, chairman of the Cà Mau People's Committee, said many streets in the city were flood prone.

The lack of funds has prevented the city from upgrading more than a small number of drainage systems, he added.

Nguyễn Minh Nhân, director of the city’s Construction Project Management Board, said that the board was carrying out a drainage and wastewater treatment project with a total investment of over VNĐ567 billion sourced from Italian ODA. — VNS