Lakes 'disappear' causing Vinh city to 'fall' during heavy rain?

The record-breaking heavy rain on October 16th caused Vinh city to "fall", with widespread flooding, many areas submerged several meters deep, threatening human life. One of the reasons being considered is that the system of lakes and ponds in the city is shrinking and gradually "disappearing".

The remaining ponds, lakes, and fields in hamlets 14 and 15 (Nghi Phu) have been narrowed by residential houses. Photo: PV

Nghi Phu area, along Hoang Phan Thai street (Nghi Phu) extending to Le Nin street, used to have many ponds and lakes stretching out, which were the water source from the western communes. Now, with development and compensation, the above-mentioned ponds and lakes have become resettlement land for people, so rainwater drains more slowly.

Both sides of Hoang Phan Thai Street (Nghi Phu) used to be full of ponds, lakes, and deep fields, but now they are resettled houses. Photo: PV

Mr. Ha Van Trung - Chairman of Nghi Phu Commune People's Committee said: In the past 5 years, with the inevitable consequences of urbanization, 165 hectares of rice fields and ponds in Nghi Phu have been leveled, 65 hectares, and in the next few years, with the list of investment attraction projects, the area of ​​rice fields and dry ponds will only be 20 hectares.

Previously, along Quan Bau intersection, there was also a dense system of ponds and lakes to regulate water drainage and for aquaculture managed by Nghe An Aquatic Breeding Joint Stock Company. But now, almost the entire area of ​​ponds and lakes has become a commercial center, shops, and houses, causing the neighboring areas of Nghi Phu and Hung Dong to be heavily flooded.

Vinh Tan Lake managed by the investor is zoned for fish farming. Photo: PV

Mr. Tran Ngoc Tu - Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee said that the city currently has 22 regulating lakes with a total area of ​​about 400 hectares (Goong Lake, Central Park Lake, Thanh Lake, Cua Nam Lake, Vinh Tan New Urban Area Lake, Southern Pumping Station Lake, Tay Sam Lake, Cua Nam Lake Cluster, Tay Nam Pumping Station Lake, Dong Nam Pumping Station Lake, Hung Loc Commune regulating lake....).

However, management and operation are still inadequate: The drainage lake system in Vinh has not been assigned unified management responsibility: Some large lakes (Goong Lake, Central Park Lake) are managed by enterprises.

Some regulating lakes in front of the pumping station (Ben Thuy and Cua Nam lakes) are managed by Vinh Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company; Vinh Tan lake is managed by project investors; the remaining lakes are managed by local commune-level authorities.

The drainage system in the Central Park Lake has a trash barrier that limits the amount of water flowing, which is one of the causes of frequent flooding in the Cau Nai area. Photo: PV

Because of many managers, when there is a problem, the city leaders have to send a document requesting intervention and resolution, but it is not resolved promptly. The incident of the trash barrier at Vinh City Central Park Lake during the recent flood is an example.

In addition to the buried drainage ponds, the drainage canals also have many shortcomings. It is clear that in the historic flood on October 16, Lenin Street was turned into a large river, showing the great need for a drainage canal along this route.

Currently, in the heart of the city there is only the North canal (horizontal canal), while this canal cannot drain water for the areas of Hung Phuc, Truong Thi, Hung Binh, Le Mao wards...

Regarding the issue of planning the flood drainage system of Vinh city, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Thang - Vinh City Urban Management Department said: The city currently does not have a comprehensive drainage plan. Although all wards and communes have drainage systems, they are fragmented, each ward does its own work, and lacks uniformity. The canal system is silted up and there is no funding for dredging.

The Cau Nai area (Block 1, Truong Thi Ward) was heavily flooded on October 16, 2019, partly due to inadequacies in the management of the Central Park lake. Photo courtesy of CTV

During the unusual rain lasting more than 10 hours from the night of October 15 to the morning of October 16, 2019 with heavy rainfall of over 250mm, it caused a lot of damage to Vinh city (estimated at over 5 billion VND), and also caused flooding in many wards and communes.

Many blocks and hamlets in wards and communes were partially flooded with an average flood height of 20 - 50cm. In particular, some areas were flooded more than 1m deep (water entered people's houses) such as blocks 13 and 15 of Ben Thuy ward, block 1 of Truong Thi ward (along canal number 2), the communal house area behind Vinh market...

Many roads are flooded from 30 - 50cm. Some roads are flooded nearly 1m deep, causing danger to people and vehicles such as Dang Thai Than, Nguyen Son, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Nguyen Van Cu...

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