HCM CITY — Research Laboratories of Saigon High-Tech Park has begun installing a flood warning system at flooding hotspots in HCM City, aiming to alert city residents and suggest alternate traffic routes.

Nguyễn Tuấn Khoa, representative of Research Laboratories and head of the flood warning system project, said that in the initial stage, 15 flood warning data collection stations will be installed in eight districts, including District 9, Thủ Đức, Gò Vấp and Bình Chánh.

The Research Laboratories plans to install 30-50 such stations by the end of this year and 100 stations covering flooded areas throughout the city in the long term, he said.

The flood warning data collection stations are installed in drainage pipes. A pressure sensor placed in the station collects data on the change of the water level in the sewer and transfers the data to central software for processing.

Information regarding flooding due to rain and tide will be posted on a website and software for mobile devices.

Users can download software applications to their phones or access the website to get a sense of the location and level of flooding and find another route to avoid the flooding.

A software application will be available on iOS and Android store by the middle of this month.

The pressure sensor chips were researched, designed and manufactured by Research Laboratories, while the flooding warning data collection stations are powered by solar energy, Khoa said.

Many streets in HCM City, including Bình Thạnh District’s Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh Street; Thủ Đức District’s Dương Văn Cam Street; Tân Phú District’s Trương Vĩnh Ký Street; Gò Vấp District’s Lê Đức Thọ Street; and District 7’s Huỳnh Tấn Phát Street, are frequently submerged in water caused by heavy rain or high tides, making it hard for residents to travel on water-clogged streets.

The city plans to resolve problems at more than 200 flood hotspots over the next three years. — VNS