Nguyễn Võ Quốc, a resident of Mẹ Suốt, pointing to the peak level of rainwater that inundated the street in October. — VNA/VNS Photo Quốc Dũng

HÀ NỘI — Đà Nẵng City is taking action to turn the three-street triangle of Tôn Đức Thắng, Hoàng Văn Thái, and Mẹ Suốt into a no-flood zone.

The area is highly susceptible to flooding. During the torrential rain that hit Đà Nẵng in October 2022, the triangle was submerged to two metres underwater, claiming the lives of two people.

Floods struck again in October this year with water levels reaching one metre. Local authorities had to deploy boats to evacuate thousands of people to safer places. No lives were lost this time but the vulnerability to inundation has fuelled the sense of insecurity among those living in the triangle.

Nguyễn Võ Quốc, a resident of Mẹ Suốt Street, has to keep his electric appliances up high due to fear of floods. He also stockpiles necessities and food supplies in the attic in case of emergency.

Undoubtedly, years of flooding have driven him to a preventive mindset.

"We've kept everything in the attic, where our family can retreat immediately to if the water rises at night," said Quốc.

Bùi Trung Khánh, chairman of Hòa Nam Khánh Ward, cites urbanisation as a key factor contributing to periodic floods in the triangle. He said urbanisation had disrupted rainwater runoffs, leading to higher water levels in the rainy seasons.

"Local authorities have dredged all drainage ditches in the ward to reduce the risk of flooding," said Khánh.

Nguyễn Hà Bắc, secretary of Liên Chiểu District, said the district had submitted a proposal to the city to build more reservoirs at the foot of Thanh Vinh and Khánh Sơn mountains, which would serve as a huge storage tank for excessive rainwater from residential areas in rainy seasons.

The district had also put forward a scheme to build new large-scale drainage pipelines beneath certain streets, including Hoàng Văn Thái and Phùng Hưng, to supplement the existing ones in Phú Lộc and Đa Cô, which had been stretched to full capacity.

"The district plans to transform the flood-prone areas in Hòa Khánh Nam into flood-free compact towns by investing in drainage systems and infrastructure," said Bắc.

According to Phùng Phú Phong, director of Đà Nẵng's Department of Construction, local authorities planned to build a railway station in the flood-prone areas years ago but ditched the plan. They are working on a new plan to build a commercial centre instead.

But there will be residential areas that are left untouched by the centre. Those areas will be upgraded with new infrastructure and drainage systems to make flooding "a thing of the past".

In the short term, local authorities will build a drainage channel heading to Đà Nẵng Bay to relieve the overstretched Phú Lộc Channel that links to Mẹ Suốt.

"These projects must be carefully planned to ensure they work efficiently and in line with the city's Master Plan," said Phong. — VNS