A 500-year flood cycle scheme to protect downtown Hanoi is part of a detailed flood prevention master plan that municipal agencies are working on. (Photo anninhthudo.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – A 500-year flood cycle scheme to protect downtown Hanoiis part of a detailed flood prevention master plan that municipal agencies areworking on.
The master plan is being prepared in line with the Prime Minister’s DecisionNo.257/QĐ-TTg which approves anti-flood and dyke planning for the Red and ThaiBinh river systems.
The Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Vietnam Instituteof Water Resources have been tasked with drafting the master plan, which isestimated to cost 56.9 trillion VND (2.5 billion USD).
An estimated 1900 households have to be relocated from flood storage areas,which will cover 4,568ha on the Red River banks.
Over 6.7km of the Red River dyke runs through the capital city’s Thanh Tri district.Three communes in the district, Yen My, Duyen Ha and Van Phuc, covering 1,258haand comprising 6100 households, are squarely located in the river’s floodstorage area.
This has meant that several buildings in the communes, both Government officesand residences, cannot be built anew despite their dilapidated condition. Onlyrepairs and maintenance work can be carried out on these buildings, said DangDuc Quynh, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Tri district People’s Committee.
Similarly, in Hoan Kiem district’s Phuc Tan and Chuong Duong ward, 45,000people live in the Red River flood drainage zone. However, due to theirlocation outside the dykes, the granting of construction permits requirescompliance with special regulations, especially those that deal with constructionin the Red River flood drainage corridor.
Many houses in this area are so badly damaged that they have to be rebuilturgently, but owners are only allowed to carry out repairs. The legalcomplexities in obtaining building permits and requirements for rebuilding havemade the lives of residents very difficult and are a headache for localauthorities.
However, according to the deputy director of the city’s agriculture department,Tran Thanh Nha, slow implementation of the plan could see the population inflood drainage areas increase rapidly.
In the last eight years, it estimates that the population in the flood drainageareas has increased by about 30,000 people, creating many difficulties inrelocating people to safe areas.
The situation is worsened by residents discharging waste directly into riverand increasing encroachment of the flood plains, especially in Tay Ho and HoanKiem districts.
Deputy Director of the city’s Planning and Architecture Department Bui Xuan Tung,also said that the delay in formulating and implementing the master plan onflood prevention will prevent city authorities from implementing urbandevelopment projects in riverside areas.
A current concern involves the proportion of flood plains on whichinfrastructure is allowed to be built. Decision No257 regulates the percentageat 5 to 15 percent. Many urban experts have advised that the percentage beincreased to allow maximum use of riverside resources.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang said theministry would review the plan in the spirit of creating favourable conditionsfor city authorities to manage and optimal use the floodplains.
Meanwhile, he urged city authorities to curb population growth in thefloodplains and provide information on dyke protection to people living alongthe river.
The deputy minister also suggested that city authorities find ways to raisecapital for flood prevention work in order to implement the master planeffectively.
Nha of the municipal agriculture department said drafters of the plan willconsider and incorporate suggestions from the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment before submitting it to the city People’s Council for approval inNovember.
If approved, the department and the Water Resources Institute will startimplementing the plan immediately, he added.-VNA
The master plan is being prepared in line with the Prime Minister’s DecisionNo.257/QĐ-TTg which approves anti-flood and dyke planning for the Red and ThaiBinh river systems.
The Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Vietnam Instituteof Water Resources have been tasked with drafting the master plan, which isestimated to cost 56.9 trillion VND (2.5 billion USD).
An estimated 1900 households have to be relocated from flood storage areas,which will cover 4,568ha on the Red River banks.
Over 6.7km of the Red River dyke runs through the capital city’s Thanh Tri district.Three communes in the district, Yen My, Duyen Ha and Van Phuc, covering 1,258haand comprising 6100 households, are squarely located in the river’s floodstorage area.
This has meant that several buildings in the communes, both Government officesand residences, cannot be built anew despite their dilapidated condition. Onlyrepairs and maintenance work can be carried out on these buildings, said DangDuc Quynh, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Tri district People’s Committee.
Similarly, in Hoan Kiem district’s Phuc Tan and Chuong Duong ward, 45,000people live in the Red River flood drainage zone. However, due to theirlocation outside the dykes, the granting of construction permits requirescompliance with special regulations, especially those that deal with constructionin the Red River flood drainage corridor.
Many houses in this area are so badly damaged that they have to be rebuilturgently, but owners are only allowed to carry out repairs. The legalcomplexities in obtaining building permits and requirements for rebuilding havemade the lives of residents very difficult and are a headache for localauthorities.
However, according to the deputy director of the city’s agriculture department,Tran Thanh Nha, slow implementation of the plan could see the population inflood drainage areas increase rapidly.
In the last eight years, it estimates that the population in the flood drainageareas has increased by about 30,000 people, creating many difficulties inrelocating people to safe areas.
The situation is worsened by residents discharging waste directly into riverand increasing encroachment of the flood plains, especially in Tay Ho and HoanKiem districts.
Deputy Director of the city’s Planning and Architecture Department Bui Xuan Tung,also said that the delay in formulating and implementing the master plan onflood prevention will prevent city authorities from implementing urbandevelopment projects in riverside areas.
A current concern involves the proportion of flood plains on whichinfrastructure is allowed to be built. Decision No257 regulates the percentageat 5 to 15 percent. Many urban experts have advised that the percentage beincreased to allow maximum use of riverside resources.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang said theministry would review the plan in the spirit of creating favourable conditionsfor city authorities to manage and optimal use the floodplains.
Meanwhile, he urged city authorities to curb population growth in thefloodplains and provide information on dyke protection to people living alongthe river.
The deputy minister also suggested that city authorities find ways to raisecapital for flood prevention work in order to implement the master planeffectively.
Nha of the municipal agriculture department said drafters of the plan willconsider and incorporate suggestions from the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment before submitting it to the city People’s Council for approval inNovember.
If approved, the department and the Water Resources Institute will startimplementing the plan immediately, he added.-VNA
VNA
