Why does every heavy rain turn the streets of Hanoi into rivers?

Looking for answers to flood prevention not only in Hanoi but also in HCMC and other cities across the country. Readers have suggested that the urban planning problem is related to causing the roads in newly built Hanoi to be flooded when it rains heavily…

I was startled but also very interested in the song “Reckless planning makes Hanoi every time it rains, the city turns into a river.” on VietNamNet on June 1 by author Kien Trung through the opinion of Architect (Architect) Tran Huy Anh!

I was startled by the architect Tran Huy Anh showed the topographic map and dyke diagram of the North made in 1905. Image of Hanoi during the flood in 1926, the French measured, designed and built The construction of the drainage system in Hanoi from 1905 was completed in 1937-1941.

I am very pleased with the opinion of architect Tran Huy Anh, that Hanoi’s planning is “disrespectful planning”, “despite being shown in that it does not follow the laws of nature, despite the topography.. It shows the most obvious fragmentation and conflict with nature”.

Comparing the planning of Hanoi made by the French “always have the first drainage design, the first brushstroke drawn on the plan is a drawing about the drainage system which is very methodical, proactive and well-organized. including drainage of underground water, surface water and wastewater”. And the way to do planning in new urban areas in Hanoi today is “the way of construction by amateurs, dividing plots for sale …”!

We all know, our country from the North to the South is located in the tropics, monsoons, so the rain and sunshine is a very important thing to life and travel! I dare not discuss and explain about urban planning. Because urban planning is an integrated relationship of many fields, it is not possible to discuss only one area.

So to solve the problem of “heavy rain the city flooded the river”. In the scope of this article, I only mention one issue: Surface drainage design (one of 3 ways: groundwater drainage, surface water drainage, wastewater drainage).

True to the opinion of architect Tran Huy Anh in the old streets of Hanoi, the French built a system of underground sewers to drain into the Red River. Surely many people have not forgotten the story that some of our revolutionary soldiers before 1954 were imprisoned by the French in Hoa Lo prison and successfully used the underground sewer system to escape; In 1965, when the US imperialists raided Hanoi, there were some surveys of underground sewers on some streets, the results found a way and a sluice gate to drain water to the Red River in the area of ​​the Black ferry. And the sewer system is comfortable for people to walk around… That explains why the old town streets are not flooded even in heavy rain!

Urban planning issues in Hanoi as well as in other provinces need to be rectified. But it cannot be solved immediately, and the flood control in newly built roads in Hanoi in particular and in urban areas in general needs to be discussed and resolved immediately. Because it affects people’s lives, urban order and beauty. Therefore I suggest:

1. In the long run:

– It is necessary to study and select domestic and foreign options suitable to the characteristics of our country to apply.

– Research and supplement specific contents in the formulation and management of urban planning.

2. In the immediate future:

– Redefine the specific catchment of each road section that is often flooded when it rains.

– Determine and investigate the rainwater flow of that section of road.

– On that basis, audit and design additional drainage pipes.

Hopefully one day, not far from traffic participants in particular, people living in urban areas in general will no longer worry about “in heavy rain, the streets are flooded with rivers”.

Huu Dien (Hanoi)