Do not let it flood because it "suffocates" the drainage manhole

Since May, when the rainy season began, after some not-so-heavy rains, many roads in Thu Duc City (HCMC) have been flooded. Traveling has become difficult, and many people's lives have been turned upside down.

Every rain is flooding.

Living on 339 Street, at the intersection with Do Xuan Hop Street, Phuoc Long B Ward, Thu Duc City, Ms. Le Thi Thai said that just a light rain of about 10 minutes is enough to flood the road in front of her house. One day, her house was flooded.

According to Ms. Thai, the drains near her house are often clogged with trash, but no functional unit has ever sent anyone to deal with it. Recalling many years ago, she said she is still haunted by the constant flooding. "My family lives at the end of the road, right at a low point so the water gathers. When it floods, I can only go out in the rain to collect trash from the drains so that the water can drain as quickly as possible," Ms. Thai said.

The manhole on La Xuan Oai Street, Thu Duc City is covered with garbage. Photo: ANH VU

According to the reporter's records, the image of garbage surrounding the manholes causing blockage of the drainage process is very common. Also in Thu Duc City, the Thu Duc market area is flooded with water during heavy rains. People have to wade through the water while being vigilant because at any time they can be knocked down by the strong current. The manholes here as well as in the "flooding areas" on Kha Van Can, Vo Van Ngan, Ho Van Tu, Dang Thi Ranh, To Ngoc Van, La Xuan Oai streets... are covered with plastic bags, plastic bottles or sealed with wooden boards, bricks and stones...

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, a vegetable seller on La Xuan Oai Street, after recounting the times she evacuated her location, commented that the Tang Nhon Phu A market area floods whenever it rains, while the sewer is choked by leftover flowers and rotten fruits... She was frustrated: "A few times I saw people throwing bags of leftover food into the sewer, I reminded them and they snapped: "It's not your house, why are you so nosy?" After that, partly because I was afraid of conflict, partly because I was discouraged, I ignored it. Now that it's flooded, I just go out and pick up trash at the sewer myself." Ms. Hien expressed her wish that the authorities would pay more attention to urban aesthetics, road and bridge infrastructure, and promote awareness of not littering.

Many places in Binh Thanh District or District 1 are similar. Many manholes are blocked by leftover food, debris, rocks, and weeds. Many manholes have not been cleaned for a long time, typically on Highway 13, Ung Van Khiem Street, Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Dinh Bo Linh, Nguyen Xien, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Cong Quynh Street...

According to Mr. Tran Van Hung (living on Ung Van Khiem Street), this street is one of the frequently flooded areas in Binh Thanh District. During the rainy season, motorbike riders have to struggle to move or slowly push their motorbikes because their engines stall. He commented: "The manholes are surrounded by trash so the water cannot drain. If there is no trash in the manholes, the water will drain away after only 10 minutes of rain, but if there is trash, who knows when it will last."

Can't handle it all, must prioritize

Reporters of the Lao Dong Newspaper met with the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Drainage Company Limited (UDC) to find answers to people's questions about dredging and maintaining drainage systems. Mr. Diep Nguyen Thinh, Deputy Director of UDC, affirmed that the dredging and maintenance of the drainage system in 2023 by the unit always ensures the correct procedures and plans approved by the investor (Technical Infrastructure Management Center - Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction).

In Binh Thanh District, UDC has dredged 3 out of 5 routes reported by reporters. The remaining two routes are scheduled for dredging in June and July 2023.

In Thu Duc City, UDC has dredged 10 out of 14 routes mentioned by the reporter. The remaining routes - Le Van Viet, Do Xuan Hop, Quoc Huong, Nguyen Duy Trinh - are included in the dredging plan for June, July and August 2023. According to Mr. Thinh, with the monthly dredging plan, UDC can only implement it when the investor approves.

The plan to dredge the drainage system in Ho Chi Minh City is implemented according to specific criteria on priority order. UDC prioritizes dredging flooded roads, followed by densely populated areas and downstream areas when the sedimentation level has been reached.

UDC representatives said that it is impossible to dredge the entire city's drainage system at once. Therefore, the company must plan monthly dredging to ensure the best drainage.

"During the dry season, the company must complete dredging on frequently flooded roads first, so that by June - when Ho Chi Minh City enters the rainy season - it can ensure the best drainage for the area," Mr. Thinh explained.

Regarding the case of people intentionally using objects to cover the sewer mouth, Mr. Thinh said that they want to reduce the bad smell from the sewer. However, this is also one of the causes of artificial flooding and limits the ability to drain water when it rains.

To completely solve this problem, UDC has designed a new type of odor-blocking manhole that both ensures drainage and prevents odors from coming up from the sewer. Up to now, UDC has installed thousands of these odor-blocking manholes and is continuing to implement them according to the plan approved by the investor.

"UDC is currently assigned to manage and operate 1,842 km of various sewers, 85,373 manholes, 1,265 sluice gates and 25 canals and ditches. The company divides them into 10 basins to implement and plan monthly dredging, maintenance and repair.

People need to join hands

Regarding the fact that manholes are often covered with trash, affecting drainage capacity, Mr. Diep Nguyen Thinh admitted that this is a common situation on roads managed by UDC or districts. In order to minimize flooding, when it rains, the company assigns employees to be on duty at flooded areas to collect trash and assist with traffic control.

The manhole was blocked to reduce the smell.

UDC hopes that people will join hands in reducing flooding in the city by keeping the environment clean and not littering, which affects the drainage system.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su/khong-de-ngap-vi-buc-tu-mieng-cong-thoat-nuoc-20230625211145806.htm