Cutting tree branches at risk of falling on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street in HCM City’s District 3 before the arrival of the rainy season. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - The HCM City administration has ordered the city Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Rescue and local authorities to assess 300 sites that face a high risk of landslides and floods in case of heavy rains and storms.
Local authorities need to review and make disaster response plans, Le Thanh Liem, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, told a recent online meeting to review the steering committee’s work last year and make plans for this year to prevent forest fires and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters.
In recent years the climate in the city and its surrounding areas has become unpredictable.
Experts have warned about worsening weather conditions, particularly prolonged droughts and heat waves, while natural disasters, mainly floods, storms and landslides, are expected to occur more frequently.
“Relevant [agencies] must be more proactive to improve the efficacy of prevention measures,” the official said.
All preparations have to be completed before the rainy season began.
The steering committee had been tasked with co-ordinating with the management of Dau Tieng Lake in Dong Nai province to plan water discharge.
The Department of Transport needed to step up oversight to ensure safety at ports and ferries.
Authorities in districts 9, Cu Chi, Binh Chanh, and Can Gio needed to focus on forest management and fire prevention.
Last year there were 17 fires involving grass and other vegetation in the city on a total area of more than 42ha, but there were no forest fires.
The fires were contained since they detected and handled in a timely manner.
There were three landslides, two storms and six instances of high tides, but no fatalities./.
VNA
