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(VietNamNet Bridge)-Ha Noi will install new underground drainage systems in 44 streets in seven inner-city districts from now till the end of next year, said Pham Van Cuong, director of the Ha Noi Drainage Project Management Board.

Motorists along a flooded part of Nguyen Duc Canh Road in Ha Noi's Hoang Mai District after heavy rain. The city will invest US$19 million in installing a new drainage system. (Photo: VNS)

The project, with total investment of VND400 billion (US$19 million), will cover Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Thanh Xuan, Dong Da, Hoang Mai and Cau Giay districts.

"Most of the sewers in these districts were built 60-80 years ago, so they have deteriorated and no longer meet demand for drainage, especially when it rains heavily," said Cuong.

The new sewers will be more than 1m in width and height. Lo Duc Street, which can channel water into the Kim Nguu River, will have an even larger sewer 2.6m in width and 2.3m in height. The sewer system will have a total length of more than 21km.

Photo: VNN

On 29 streets that are narrow, workers would be assigned to work from 10pm to 5pm to ensure minimal disruption to traffic. On 15 streets that were wide enough for work during the day time, construction sites would be surrounded by corrugated iron barriers to ensure residents' safety, said Cuong.

Flash flood kills two in Cao Bang Province Two people died and a house was destroyed yesterday, May 23, when a sudden flash flood swept through Lung Muoi hamlet in northern mountainous Cao Bang province. The flash flood in Quang Thanh Village, Nguyen Binh District, also buried 2ha of farm crop, caused a landslide and halted traffic on Highway 34. One body has been recovered.

It is expected that the drainage system in 21 streets will be completed this year, and work on the remaining 23 streets will be completed next year.

"The most complicated part of the work is installing the sewers on Lo Duc Street because the sewers are so big it will affect traffic there," said Cuong.

The management board is discussing plans to ensure traffic flow during construction work with the municipal departments of Transport and Police.

Work on Lo Duc Street is scheduled for October next year.

The city's old sewage system is being strained as the city's population increases. The city's current sewage system can only handle up to 50mm of rainfall per day, but during the wet season the city can experience rainfall of 150mm per day.

There were 21 flooding ‘hot spots' in the inner city, said Cuong.