A heavy rain on June 17 not only flooded many streets in HCM City, but also caused serious traffic jams, inconveniencing residents all over the city.
Engines stopped by water
The rain started at around 4pm, with several areas of the city, including Le Van Luong Street submerged in as much as 50cm of water. Many drivers fell victim to engine failure as they tried to drive through the waters. The rain also flooded nearby houses, so people used what they had to flush out water.
Flooded streets on June 17
In the meantime, serious congestion occurred along 4km of Kha Van Can Street. Even though police tried to regulate traffic, they were unable to ease the congestion due to large numbers of vehicles, small streets and construction areas. “I’ve been stuck in the rain for about an hour but I don’t see way to get home at this point,” said Le Thi Bach, a resident in Thu Duc District.
Line of vehicles stuck on Kha Van Can
Flooding has become a serious problem in HCM City recently. During a meeting last year, many deputies of HCM City People’s Assembly questioned local authorities about flooding in HCM City. Flooding in HCM City is often caused by rains and tides. The deputies blamed the weak anti-flooding programme on local authorities and investors in the transport sector. In 2013, the city successfully dealt with nine flood-prone areas but were informed of 21 new areas prone to flooding.
Nguyen Ngoc Cong, the Deputy Director of the Steering Unit for HCM City Anti-flooding Programme admitted the carelessly of transport construction land, deemed one of the cause for flooding. He said, “We need a proper dyke and tide control system. By 2020, the city plans to complete work in these two areas.”
Đăng ký: VietNam News