Flooding and civic awareness

(Baonghean) - Ho Chi Minh City has just experienced the biggest flood in the last 100 years. People immediately pointed out the causes: excessive rainfall, the combination of rain and high tides, and numerous shortcomings in urban planning and drainage system construction... But there is also another cause: the extremely poor awareness of the people in their daily lives, such as encroaching on canals and ditches and littering indiscriminately.

The area around Phu Dinh wharf (Ho Chi Minh City) is submerged in water, with many vehicles stranded. It was very difficult to move around. Photo: Internet

Reading the news articles and seeing the photos depicting the flood, it's truly disheartening to see the plight of the country's largest, most modern, and economic powerhouse. Ho Chi Minh City authorities will have much to learn from this experience, deal with the aftermath of the flooding, and will have to grapple with finding solutions to prevent similar situations in the future. But from the people's perspective, should they only blame the government when, through their irresponsible lifestyles, they themselves have blocked areas intended for water drainage?

The story of Ho Chi Minh City is probably not unique to this city; it exists in most cities, large and small, throughout the country, including Vinh City – our first-class city; the only difference is the degree to which it is depicted.

Despite its low population density and relatively well-planned urban layout, Vinh City has not been immune to localized flooding during heavy rains. The heavy rains in mid-September and the downpour on the night of October 14th and 15th submerged many streets, highlighting the city's risk of severe flooding during high-intensity floods and highlighting problems with its drainage system.

Truong Chinh Street (Vinh City) turned into a sea on the morning of October 15th. Waves surged up every time a car passed by, leaving many motorcyclists and cyclists soaked.

The flooding in a relatively sparsely populated and well-planned city like Vinh is partly due to an incomplete drainage system that hasn't kept pace with urbanization, but a significant factor is the lack of awareness among its residents.

Furthermore, the indiscriminate dumping of garbage by residents inadvertently clogs drainage holes on the roads. Not to mention, due to dislike of the foul smell of sewage, some households even arbitrarily block drainage holes near their homes, preventing water from flowing into the sewers during heavy rains. The dumping of garbage and encroachment on the flow of drainage canals is a common occurrence. Many car washes and shops still dump garbage and soil into drainage pipes, causing sedimentation and blockages. In some sections of canals, people even secretly dump construction waste, creating significant difficulties for authorities in dredging and clearing the canals before the rainy season.

Along with socio-economic development, the pressure on drainage will also increase for Vinh City. The urban management agency remains the main unit responsible for this issue, but relying solely on the authorities will not solve the flooding problem if public awareness does not improve in line with the pace of urbanization.

Bao Ngan