Province and city authorities have started repairs and upgrades on irrigation systems and reservoirs ahead of the wet season.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said an unpredictable and complicated wet season is coming, bringing heavy rains to HCM City and Hanoi .

In Hanoi , 21 areas in the city are prone to flood with more than 100mm of rain expected this summer.

The city's department of construction said improvements to the inner-city drainage system were close to completion, including dredging lakes and drainage canals and upgrading equipment to avoid flooding.

More than 50 lakes have been dredged and 93 stormwater drains repaired.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Van Khoi asked relevant agencies to finish traffic construction projects to clean up the roads and repair dangerous potholes.

In the central region, which is forecast to be hit by a third of the total tropical rain between September and December, further preparation, including large amounts of food and necessities for emergencies, plus shelter and rescue equipment, have been carried out.

Speaking at a meeting early May, Vice Chairman of Da Nang City People's

Committee Phung Tan Viet said global positioning systems have been installed on 121 fishing vessels.

He said the city could mobilised over 2,400 soldiers and police and 97 canoes and boats for rescue work and to provide necessities at shelters.

Last year, two floods occurred in the city, killing five people, injuring seven and inundating over 17,000 households. The estimated loss was 90 billion VND (4.2 million USD).

In southern Dong Nai province, provincial authorities have defined about 250 landslide-prone spots and found 248 safe places in case of evacuation.

They have required Long Khanh District and Bien Hoa City to make regular checks of riverside areas and dredge obstacles to ensure optimum flow.

In southern Tien Giang province, protection of agricultural crops has been given priority.

Le Van Huong, vice chairman of the provincial People's Committee, said the province has arranged to protect crops in flood-prone areas of Cai Lay, Cai Be, Chau Thanh and Tan Phuoc.

Downgraded dykes along the Red and Day rivers are the main problems in northern Ha Nam province. In the 360km dyke system, many parts, up to 10km, needed to be rebuilt or upgraded.

Local authorities have been ordered to strengthen inspections and punish violations along dykes and rivers and quickly improve facilities to get ready for the wet season.

In the northern province of Ninh Binh which has 460km of dykes and 44 reservoirs, people will be assigned to be on duty around the clock between May 5 and November 30, including police, soldiers and civilians, according to local authorities.

It has upgraded dykes with more than 2,700cu.m of rocks and 1,100cu.m of cement at a cost of 3 billion VND (144,000 USD). About 2 million cubic metres of mud has been dredged to assure water flow in the Hoang Long River .

In up-north Son La province, the local Flood Prevention and Search and Rescue

Committee has examined more than 30 hydro-power projects, pushed dyke construction and maintenance and listed 561 households living in dangerous areas.

Pham Duc Dung, deputy director of the Standing Office Committee for Flood Prevention and Control, said all road construction is to end this month and a map of landslide-prone areas identified and information sent to local residents to help them protect themselves.-VNA