HCM CITY – A flood control and prevention project proposal for downtown HCM City, worth VNĐ20 trillion (US$900 million), has been rejected by municipal leaders and irrigation experts.

The project, designed by the Environment and Public Target Company (EPT), proposed measures to control the tides causing floods in the city.

At a meeting yesterday with municipal leaders and irrigation experts, the EPT representative introduced urgent measures to control the unusual tides in the rivers of Đồng Nai ad Vàm Cỏ to reduce flooding in HCM City.

The company suggested building embankment systems on the rivers of Soài Rạp, Lòng Tàu and Đồng Thanh and a reservoir on the Đồng Nai and Vàm Cỏ rivers, as well as a water regulation system on the Sài Gòn-Đồng Nai-Vàm Cỏ rivers to ensure the sustainable development of HCM City in the 2020-2050 period.

The project would have cost VNĐ20 trillion ($900 million).

At the meeting, several irrigation experts opposed the project because of its low feasibility.

According to Dr. Phạm Sanh, the EPT had only considered the tides, a small part of the flooding situation, but had not considered rainfall and the city’s drainage system.

Meanwhile, the city’s deputy head of Agriculture and Rural Development Department, Trần Công Lý, said, “The flood in the inner city was also related to upstream flooding and the water discharging capacity of the Dầu Tiếng and Trị An reservoirs.”

Lý said the city should consider the worst case scenario of Dầu Tiếng Reservoir breaking, causing the city to be inundated quickly.

Phạm Thế Vinh from the Southern Irrigation Institute raised the opinion that building embankments on the rivers should be considered carefully to avoid landslides on the riverbanks.

The company should provide information on the economic impact of the project, Vinh said.

The city should also create a master plan for flood control and prevention, he added.

Municipal Party Committee Secretary Tất Thành Cang said drawing up anti-flood measures was one of the city administration’s most urgent tasks.

To effectively handle the situation, the city had to review the reality of old and new sewage systems as well as co-operate with neighbouring provinces.

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyễn Thành Phong said flooding in the city had been a major concern for the authorities and the people.

The serious flooding incidents of recent years have had a negative impact on the city’s economic development and people’s daily lives, he said. The city needs to immediately introduce a solution for the situation.

“To begin with, the city has built drainage systems and dredged canals to reduce inundation during this rainy season,” Phong said. – VNS