The high tide has risen over the last few days and is expected to continue to do so for the next three days in the low lying sections of the Saigon- Dong Nai River.

     According to the Southern Regional Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center, at Phu An Station, the Saigon River might see the tide rise higher to 1.42m-1.45ms. At the Nha Be Station, it is expected to rise to 1.38-1.42ms.

     The flood tide would peak around 4-7am and 5-8pm everyday, the center said.

     The city Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and for Search and Rescue has ordered rescue forces to stand by ready to cope with the flooding in the highly prone areas in districts of 12, Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, Go Vap and Cu Chi.

     In related news, the HCMC People’s Committee has approved the building of 59 projects to cope with riverside landslides and to build water drainage systems and dykes to deal with flooding from high tides.

     The above projects will be built in accordance with the construction of rural traffic systems in 10 outer districts including district 12, Binh Thanh, Thu Duc, Go Vap, Cu Chi, Can Gio, Binh Chanh and Nha Be.

     The committee also instructed the Thu Duc District People’s Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to step up the construction of Saigon riverside dykes and drainage systems to resolve the regular flooding occurring in districts 12, Thu Duc and Hoc Mon.

     During 2008 and 2009, HCMC spent VND489 trillion (US$23 billion) to build 284 barrier systems to deal with the flooding in residential as well as in agricultural areas.(Source: saigon-gpdaily.com.vn)