The eastern part of Ho Chi Minh City, considered to have the highest elevation in the city, has been submerged by recent downpours, with an official blaming it on terrain and sluggish drainage projects.

Recent torrential rains have resulted in inundation along several streets of District 9 and Thu Duc District.

Local residents are wondering why such a situation occurs given that the neighborhoods are located in the highest part of the southern hub.

Pushing her motorbike through a flooded street near the Rach Chiec Bridge following a heavy rain on May 19, local resident Nguyen Thi Hong Gam said that she had never encountered such flooding in the area before.

Roads near the bridge tend to be riddled with slopes, and become dangerous for commuters whenever they are flooded.

Along other streets in District 9, namely Do Xuan Hop, La Xuan Oai, and Le Van Viet, motorcyclists struggle to travel in knee-deep floodwater, while residents are helpless to prevent their homes from being submerged.

They are also forced to endure the foul smell from sewers along Le Van Viet Street whenever the street becomes inundated.

In Thu Duc District, the three main ‘victims’ of flooding include To Ngoc Van Street, the intersection of Vo Van Ngan with Kha Van Can Streets, and the area near the Rach Chiec Bridge.

The worst of it occurs along a section of the Hanoi Highway leading to the bridge, with countless motorbikes breaking down.

Despite the dangers, some motorcyclists choose to travel in the truck lane to avoid the flooded part of the road.

According to Hoang Minh Tuan, vice-chairman of the People’s Committee in District 9, the inundation is caused by a variation in elevation between neighborhoods.

In addition, some 140 routes in the district are not equipped with proper drainage systems, Tuan said.

An anti-flooding project on Do Xuan Hop Street, developed by the city’s Steering Center of Urban Flood Control Program, has not been effective enough in preventing the street from becoming submerged by heavy rain.

Local authorities are coordinating with the steering center to make improvements to the project, the vice-chairman said.

Regular dredging will also be carried out on Le Van Viet and La Xuan Oai Streets as temporary measures, he continued, adding that the roads would be upgraded and expanded in the near future.

To combat inundation in Thu Duc, several projects have also been proposed but delayed due to a lack of investment and sluggish administrative procedures.

According to local authorities, at least four projects with a combined investment of VND800 billion (US$35.1 million) need to be executed in order to deal with flooding in the district.