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Viet Nam

Viet Nam/Hanoi: Thousands of households still surrounded in water

By November 10, thousands of families in 12 out of the 29 districts of Hanoi are still living with flooded areas. Many communes and towns are still isolated and many people are surviving by instant noodle and water.

Le Danh Ngan, Vice Chairman of Hoai Duc District, reported on November 10 that up to 2,100 households, totaling more than 10,000 people are still surrounded by water which is up to their "belly-button". Many villages in Lai Yen commune are isolated.

In Thach That district, over 2,230 families with over 10,000 people are in the same situation. The number is 1,320 households for Tu Liem District and 531 for Quoc Oai District.

Meanwhile, water drainage for these areas is very slow because most of pumping stations there failed in the recent historic flood.

An official from Hoai Duc District, Nguyen Thi Mai Lan, said pumping stations in her district did not work or they were not permitted to work because if they pump flood water to the Nhue River, inner Hanoi will be flooded again.

In isolated areas, people are living without power and clean water. Many people are worried of environmental pollution in these areas.

Hoai Duc District's Nguyen Thi Mai Lan said more than 13,100 chickens and 350 pigs died in Hoai Duc during the flood and these animals were directly discharged to the field.

Hanoi's Vice Chairman, Nguyen Duy Hung, asked related agencies on November 10 to give top priority to drain water at residential areas, industrial zones, and major roads in flooded areas.

He also guided related agencies to make statistics of losses to have effective measures to deal with flood aftermaths.

D.Tr