Can Tho determined to find solutions to drain flooding
To solve the flooding problem in Can Tho City during high tides and heavy rains, Chairman of the City People's Committee Tran Van Lau previously called on cadres to boldly propose and take drastic actions to solve the flooding problem. He announced that he would award 50 million VND, award an unexpected certificate of merit and consider planning at a higher position for any cadre who came up with an effective idea to help the city fight flooding and limit flooding in the next few rains.
The Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City also assigned the Department of Construction to be the unit to receive information, ideas, and solutions for flood prevention from people and organizations to synthesize, evaluate, and advise the City People's Committee to select feasible solutions. At the same time, coordinate with the Department of Home Affairs to reward organizations and individuals with initiatives and solutions to prevent flooding in accordance with regulations.
According to information from the Department of Construction of Can Tho City, up to now, many ideas have been sent to the city by the people. The unit will synthesize opinions, and coordinate with competent authorities to conduct field surveys on routes and points that are frequently flooded to study solutions and propose to the city leaders for consideration.
From smart pumping station to regulating inner-city lakes
Among the initiatives sent, Mr. P.T.D, a resident of Bac Lieu ward, Ca Mau province, presented a flood prevention solution that, according to him, is "small, economical but effective immediately".
Mr. D said that with more than 10 years of experience in designing and constructing a power pumping station system for agricultural irrigation, he said that the urgent solution at present is to review the "culverts" of main roads leading to rivers and canals ( careful not to be flooded) to build acceptance holes and install power pumping stations at suitable locations. Pumping stations can operate automatically, connected via smartphone applications to save costs and reduce operating human resources. If the manholes are designed deeper and wider than the current sewer system, it will help increase drainage speed during heavy rains, especially when the tide rises.
Mr. D also proposed reviewing the entire system of manholes at small intersections and branches of the road to the main axis to adjust and renovate for ventilation. This helps improve oxygen circulation, supporting more smooth flow in the sewers.
Mr. D said that the cause of flooding is not only due to high tides but also because the concreting process causes the amount of water absorbed into the soil to decrease sharply, while the old sewer system is largely no longer suitable for actual conditions.
Mr. D emphasized that if we continue to invest in raising roads, drainage, and raising the house foundation, it will be very expensive and affect people's lives. According to the pumping station, this is a practical solution and has little impact on community activities. If the old infrastructure can still be used, it should be kept. Upgrading to rebuild is both wasteful and causes great disruption.
Notably, Mr. D also shared that he would not accept any remuneration, expenses or rewards if the city applied his initiative. He only hopes to provide official rainfall data from the meteorological agency to be able to continue to perfect the solution, while presenting more specifically the rainfall for each route as well as the productivity of each type of pump.
Meanwhile, another resident in Ninh Kieu ward, Can Tho city has also sent the city leaders a proposal to use the regulated lake system and inner-city canals as "temporary tanks" during the rainy season. According to this person, just proactively draining water from the lake at the end of the dry season to create space to receive rainwater can significantly reduce local flooding.
Analysis shows that the larger the reservoir's drumstick capacity, the more effective it is in preventing flooding. This solution is based on the principle of Sustainable Urban Drainage systems ( SUDS) and has been successfully applied in many places such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Singapore.
People recommend surveying the current status of inner-city lakes, building flexible regulatory mechanisms according to the weather, combined with water level monitoring technology for effective management. This is considered an economical, feasible and sustainable solution in the context of climate change and the rapid urbanization process in Can Tho City.
