Hanoi (VNA) - There is an urgent need for Vietnam to enhance response measures and protect the dyke system, given prolonged heavy rain and flooding in the northern and north-central regions caused by three consecutive storms in just 13 days from September 22 to October 3.
The dyke systems in many localities have to withstand historic rain and floods. Despite strong impacts, to date, no main dyke sections have been breached, demonstrating the timely response and dyke protection efforts by local authorities and forces, especially in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen, and Hanoi city.
However, there have been 23 dyke-related incidents reported in these three localities.
According to a report by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep at a meeting of standing Government members on October 9 regarding the aftermath of Typhoon Matmo and subsequent floods, this was one of the most severe natural disaster episodes. Many areas suffered from all these disasters, resulting in a double disaster pattern of storms overlapping storms, floods overlapping floods, flash floods, and landslides, especially in the mountainous and midland provinces in the northern and north-central regions. This has seriously threatened the safety of transportation systems, dyke systems, reservoirs, and dams, particularly infrastructures that had recently been repaired or temporarily restored after incidents.
According to the deputy minister, in the short term, it is necessary to proactively mobilise local resources and other legal funding sources to urgently repair and restore dyke and irrigation works.
In the long term, it is essential to review institutional frameworks and policies, propose tasks, and allocate resources to organise implementation and be ready to respond to natural disasters and heavy floods, ensure safety and sustainable development, especially in agriculture, dyke systems, irrigation, telecommunications, electricity, and urban infrastructure.
It also involves protecting flood discharge zones in river basins and riverbeds as stipulated by the Dyke Law and Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW, prioritising the protection of flood discharge spaces on the Red River, Cau River, and other major rivers. Simultaneously, there is a need for the maintenance, upgrading, and renovation of the dyke system and irrigation reservoirs, particularly critical dyke sections; as well as strengthening and upgrading river dykes to withstand floods exceeding historical levels.
At noon on October 8, during a trip to address flood consequences in Bac Ninh, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh urgently ordered the organisation of dyke reinforcement work to ensure the safety of dykes and reservoirs. After the floods, localities should have plans to raise the dyke crest levels following the recent historic flood to ensure the safety of the dyke system, he requested./.
PM inspects flood response in Hanoi’s riverside areas overnight
At the site, PM Pham Minh Chinh Chinh ordered Hanoi authorities to closely monitor river levels and implement appropriate flood response measures to ensure residents’ safety.
