VietNamNet Bridge - After eight years of implementation with many delays due to slow site clearance, the second phase of the water drainage project in Hanoi was finished in mid-November. With VND8 trillion ($35.5 million) spent, the inner city is expected to be free from flooding.

The project, developed with preferential loans from the Japanese government, kicked off in 2006. 

it was a key project helping the city fight flooding in the core urban area within the To Lich river basin of 77.5 kilometers. It is designed to ensure water drainage for 10 years under a rainwater of 310 mm for two days.

As the project implementation began in November 2008, it was initially planned to get completed and become operational in 2014. However, the project experienced a lot of delays because of the slow site clearance pace and it could only get completed last November.

Explaining the delays, the representative of the Hanoi Water Drainage Project Management Board said the board had to deal with a big workload, while poor land management hindered the site clearance.

Since the compensation of landlords for site clearance went slowly, contractors could not execute the construction works on large premises which affected their construction plans. As a result, the investment capital of the project was raised to VND1 trillion

The project was initially estimated to cost VND6.5 trillion. However, in June 2016, the total investment capital was raised to VND8 billion.

To date, 16 of 16 package deals have been implemented, while involved parties are clearing the site before the construction work is checked and taken over and put into operation.

Deputy director of the Hanoi Construction Department, Vo Nguyen Phong, said that as the project covers a large area of 77.5 square kilometers, most of the inner city area, including the districts of Dong Da, Cau Giay, Thanh Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, Ba Dinh and Tay Ho, would escape floods.

Flooding has been a big problem for Hanoi authorities and urbanites for the last 30 years. In late May 2016, a heavy rain of 200 mm inundated many streets in Hanoi and caused chaotic traffic.

A report of the Hanoi Water Drainage Company shows that the 5-hour rain overloaded the water drainage systems in many areas. With current infrastructure conditions, the drainage can go smoothly if the rainfall is no more than 50-100 mm within two hours. 

Tran Huy Anh, a renowned architect, said at the time that there “are problems in the capital city’s drainage planning”.

US$1 = VND22,500

Mai Nam