The Hanoi People's Committee recently reported to the City People's Council on the implementation of urgent public investment projects to address flooding in the area.

According to the report, Hanoi has experienced several widespread and prolonged flooding incidents recently due to typhoons, causing significant property damage and severely impacting residents' lives. A review identified six main causes of severe flooding.

The first cause is the uncoordinated and slow investment in the drainage system and key drainage facilities. The inner city area spans over 313 km2, but only about 77,5 km2 within the To Lich River basin currently has an invested drainage system, representing 24,7%.

The second is the delayed investment in main drainage outlets and pumping stations. The total required capacity for key drainage facilities in the Ta Day region is 811,5 m3/s, but currently, it only reaches about 164,5 m3/s, or 20%.

The Tran Duy Hung - Thang Long Boulevard intersection was flooded during a heavy rain on 7/10. *Photo: Giang Trinh*.

The third reason is that the Yen Nghia pumping station, with a design capacity of 120 m3/s, has not been effective due to a lack of regulating lakes, an incomplete La Khe canal leading water to the station, and the discharge canal to the Day River failing to reach capacity when river levels rise. Meanwhile, the Lien Mac key facility, with a capacity of 170 m3/s, is under construction, and drainage for urban areas outside the inner city still largely depends on the Nhue River's water level.

The fourth cause is the uncoordinated development of regulating lakes as per the master plan. The total planned area for regulating lakes is approximately 5,405 hectares, but currently, only about 1,010 hectares have been developed, representing 18,7%.

The fifth reason is the uncoordinated investment and management of drainage systems in some new urban areas; internal drainage systems have been built but are not yet connected to the general drainage network.

Finally, the ground elevation in many new development areas is inconsistent with surrounding areas. Some urban zones have low ground levels, leading to rapid localized flooding during heavy rains, while discharge outlets and key pumping stations are not fully invested in.

Given this situation, the city believes that constructing urgent projects is necessary to enhance drainage capacity, respond to natural disasters, ensure clean water sources, maintain the flow of the To Lich River, and improve pollution in rivers and lakes.

Following the advice of the Department of Construction, the City People's Committee issued 10 decisions ordering the construction of urgent projects with an estimated total investment of nearly 5,600 billion VND. Hanoi also directed prioritizing resource allocation and streamlining investment procedures to ensure the main components of the 10 projects are largely completed before the 2026 rainy season.

Hanoi's 10 urgent anti-flooding projects include:

Vo Hai