Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Ho Chi Minh City suburbs incur heavier flooding

Vietnam Net Bridge: New flooded areas have appeared in the districts of Thu Duc, Binh Chanh and Nha Be. Especially, some areas in Cu Chi district, which rarely saw flooding in the past, can also be also inundated in the flood tide.

According to Do Tan Long, a senior official of the HCM City Center for Operating the Anti-flooding Program, since early November, when flood tide and heavy rains came at the same time, the water overflowed the canal edges to flood roads and houses in Binh Chanh and Thu Duc districts. New flooded areas have appeared in districts 12 and Hoc Mon.

When asked why suburb areas have incurred heavier floods, Long has attributed to the rapid urbanization in the areas. More and more houses have been built on the areas, which were once lakes and ponds, while a lot of spontaneous residential quarters have been set up, which has made the drainage capacity weaker.

Environmentalists have pointed out that thousands of hectares of land containing water in HCM City have disappeared during the rapid urbanization. A lot of canals and lakes have been filled to give place to houses....

An 1867 map of Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City

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