Residents in Tay Ho District, Hanoi, have had to travel around by boat over the past 10 days after a heavy downpour lashed the city, a situation that locals said has persisted for about 11 years.

The neighborhood has been flooded for 10 days but the water has not receded, said Do Thi Phuong, who lives in Tu Lien Ward, Tay Ho District.

Similar flooding has repeatedly occurred since 2011, Phuong continued, adding that the problem has not been solved even though it was reported multiple times to local authorities.

After the flood recedes, there are often a lot of flies and mosquitoes, Do Van Yen, a 64-year-old resident stated, attributing the problem to the Tu Lien lake bed having not been renovated for years, which makes water unable to drain properly.

“Our lives are turned upside down whenever a heavy rain results in prolonged flooding,” Dinh Thi Lien, 65, complained.

The inundation affects more than 100 households, said Ngo Sy Hung, a resident in Tu Lien Ward.

“Children and the elderly face the most challenges as they need assistance from family members whenever they need to go outside,” Hung elaborated.

As of Sunday morning, multiple locations in Tu Lien Ward were still submerged in knee-high floodwaters, according to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters.

The water was black and full of moss, and emitted a foul smell.

Many people had to travel around by boat and build makeshift bridges to cope with the situation.

Nguyen Dinh Khien, chairman of the People’s Committee in Tay Ho District, confirmed that the serious inundation has persisted for a very long time.

Local authorities approved a plan to dredge the bed of Tu Lien Lake a few years ago, but the company in charge never carried out the process, Khien elaborated.

The Tay Ho administration has recently been authorized to spend the district budget on dealing with flooding in the locale, the official stated, adding that the dredging of Tu Lien Lake will be implemented within the third quarter of this year.

A sewer will also be built in the future so that part of the water in Tu Lien Lake will flow into West Lake instead.

As for short-term solutions, local authorities have installed high-capacity pumps at Tu Lien Lake.

After the water recedes, the health sector will take certain measures to ensure the living environment for local residents, chairman Khien said.

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