At noon on August 23, in an exchange with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hung - Director of Hanoi City Technical Infrastructure Management Center (Hanoi Department of Construction) said that in the face of the complicated developments of storm No. 4, from 2 pm on August 22, the Center organized a meeting to review drainage plans and flood prevention and control throughout the city.
Hanoi Drainage One Member Limited Liability Company and drainage maintenance units are required to organize 24/24h duty, closely monitor rain developments and proactively operate the system.
To increase rainwater reception capacity, the buffer water level at rivers, ditches and regulating lakes is proactively lowered. Pumping stations, culverts, power sources and vehicles and equipment in key areas are inspected and ready to operate.
More than 2,500 officials and workers along with more than 200 specialized vehicles and equipment are arranged at key locations.
From 5 am on August 23, drainage forces were present at the scene, organizing to collect garbage at collection stations, clearing the flow, opening the drainage gate of the regulating lake and operating the main pumping stations.
According to data recorded until 7:00 am on August 23, rainfall at many measuring points in Hanoi was commonly from 87-107mm.
Some areas have high rainfall such as Vinh Thanh 139.1mm; Hai Ba Trung 110.2mm; Phu Thuong 107.3mm; Dong Ngac 99.6mm; Cau Giay 95.2mm; Xuan Dinh 92.8mm and Tay Mo 85.6mm.
During heavy rain, key pumping stations such as Yen So, Co Nhue, Dong Bong 1, Ha Tri, Mau Luong, Van Phuc, Da Sy, Kim Lien, Nguyen Hoang Ton, Dong Tru, Phuc Dong, Phu Xa, Cau Nga 1, Cau Nga 2, Dong Tep... are operating synchronously.
Lowering the buffer water level before heavy rain is assessed to have contributed to reducing pressure on the drainage system.
By 8 am on August 23, the central area of Hanoi under the management of Hanoi Drainage One Member Limited Liability Company did not record prolonged flooding points. Traffic was basically smooth.
Some locations appear to be slightly flooded, with localized water stagnation on Thang Long Avenue, An Khanh overpass area, people's underpass No. 4, Ngoc Truc and Dai Mo. According to functional agencies, these are areas where the drainage system has not been fully invested and built.
Immediately after detecting water stagnation points, drainage forces were mobilized to the scene to clear the flow and organize drainage.
By 8:30 am, the water at the flooded points had basically receded, and traffic returned to normal.
According to Mr. Hung, although the drainage system has operated stably during the heavy rain, Hanoi is still warned that rain may continue to appear in the coming hours. By 8:30 am on August 23, many areas in the city still had rain.
Notably, water levels on the Red River, Day River, Nhue River and Bac Hung Hai system are tending to rise due to the impact of flood discharge from hydropower reservoirs.
Rising river water levels can reduce self-flow capacity, putting more pressure on Hanoi's drainage work.
Faced with this development, the Hanoi City Technical Infrastructure Management Center requested units to continue to closely monitor the scene, monitor water levels on rivers and maintain the operation of key pumping stations at a high level.
Drainage forces continue to collect garbage, duckweed, clear the flow, check collection gates, drainage gates and be ready to use mobile pumps in areas prone to flooding.
Units are required to proactively handle immediately when flooding points appear, minimizing the impact of storms on traffic and people's lives in the Capital.
