Flood drainage canal in Phu Loc commune contributes to flood reduction for downstream areas.

Flood reduction

This year’s flood season, the people of Phu Loc commune ( Hue city) welcome the heavy rains with less worry than in previous years. There is no longer the scene of water rising rapidly and rushing into houses, deeply flooded roads, traffic jams… All thanks to the recently completed flood drainage canal project, which is showing clear effectiveness.

In late October and early November, when the Bach Ma peak area received a record rainfall of up to 1,739mm in just 24 hours, many people reminded each other of the "haunting" of previous flood seasons when water had flooded half a meter in their houses. However, this time, many houses were only flooded around the yard and then quickly receded. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tan, a resident of Hoa Mau village, shared: "Thanks to the flood drainage canal, my house this year only flooded the yard, saving me from having to clean up the house."

According to the Management Board of Investment and Construction Projects of Area 3, the flood drainage system in the area of ​​Cau Hai bridge, Phu Loc district (now Phu Loc commune, Hue city) has been approved for construction investment project and contractor selection plan since November 2021. The objective of the project is to increase flood drainage capacity, ensure safety of life, property and fields of households living on both sides of Cau Hai river; reduce serious traffic congestion on National Highway 1A through Loc Tri commune, Phu Loc district (now Phu Loc commune) during the rainy and flood season, and limit damage caused by natural disasters. This project will be officially handed over in 2025.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hiep, Chairman of Phu Loc Commune People's Committee, said: Since the end of 2023, when some main items were completed, the flood drainage channel has begun to operate, supporting water regulation. Especially this year, when the project was basically completed, the recent heavy rains showed that the flood drainage channel operated effectively. "Normally, Bach Ma rainfall of 600mm has flooded villages and overflowed National Highway 1. This year, the rain was over 1,000mm but only caused light flooding and the water receded very quickly. In previous years, when there was no flood drainage channel, the peak heavy rains at Km 867, National Highway 1 through Cao Doi Xa village, Phu Loc commune were flooded from 1 - 1.5m, sometimes causing traffic jams for a long time, but this year, the highest flood level was not more than 0.5m and receded quickly after 30 minutes if the source rain decreased," Mr. Hiep compared.

Contribute to ensuring traffic safety

The effectiveness of the flood drainage channel is not only reflected in numbers. For the people of Phu Loc, this is a solid shield against sudden floods. Mr. Truong Ngoc Ly, Head of Hoa Mau village, said: "The whole village has more than 350 households with more than 1,400 people. This year's flood season, everyone said "lucky thanks to the flood drainage channel". Previously, more than half of the houses in the village were flooded, now only about 20%. The number of households that had to be evacuated has decreased from 60 to 9. People are still vigilant, but much more secure."

Phu Loc Commune is located at the foot of Bach Ma mountain range, where the steep terrain causes floodwaters to flow quickly and strongly. Previously, with just 1-2 hours of heavy rain, water from the mountain slopes would flow down to fields and roads, sweeping away rocks, soil, and trees, sometimes causing regrettable damage. Now, that water has its own "path", being diverted to Cau Hai river through a new canal system, helping to reduce the load on the downstream area.

Mr. Lu Ba Khanh, Head of Cao Doi Xa Village, commented: “Not only has flooding been reduced in people’s houses, but the ability to travel on the roads is a good thing. During the rains at the end of October, if there were no drainage channels, many sections of National Highway 1 and inter-village roads would have been deeply flooded. Now vehicles can still run, the water only stagnates locally and recedes very quickly. People’s lives and traffic activities are not much affected.”

Article and photos: HUU PHUC

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/la-chan-giam-ngap-sau-o-phu-loc-159765.html