The Phnom Penh Municipal Administration is increasing the water capacity of Boeung Tompun pumping station and is rehabilitating certain canals to manage flooding in Meanchey, Tuol Kork, Sen Sok and Por Sen Chey districts.
To control flooding in these districts, the municipal administration has increased the capacity of Boeung Tompun pumping station by installing two motors which can pump six cubic metres of water per second, according to city hall’s announcement on September 3.
Construction is currently digging up a stretch of Street 371 to install three underground water transmission pipeline routes, a three-month process. Authorities request drivers to use another road from September 6 to November 5 from 8am to 5pm. This will facilitate the completion of the pumping station.
Men Sokkheng, acting director of the Drainage and Pumping Unit of the municipal Department Public Works and Transport, said another project to alleviate flooding in the capital was rehabilitation work on Tuol Pongro II canal to drain rainwater and sewage from National Road 3 to Prek Ho canal and on to Prek Tnaot Lake.
He said the work on Toul Pongro II canal covered a length of 6,100m, was 10-15m wide and 2.5-3.5m deep. As of September 5, more than 90 per cent of restoration work was completed.
He confirmed that remaining work was held up because workers were dealing with the impact of construction work on citizens’ concrete fence built next to the canal.
“We are almost ready, obviously next week we will be finished,” he said.
According to Sokheng, the canal will reduce flooding in parts of Kamboul district’s Prateah Lang commune and Por Sen Chey district’s Chaom Chao 1 and Chaom Chao 2 communes, and parts of Dangkor district’s Prey Sar commune.
Por Sen Chey district deputy governor Pang Lida said his district has also rehabilitated certain main canals to prevent flooding.
The first project is restoration of the main canal next to the railway, which is about 10km long, to release water from the Russian Federation Blvd, Pochentong street, Pochentong Pagoda, and to bring water to the O’Akuch-Tralokbek canal in Sen Sok district.
Another project is a new 10km-long canal to release water from National Road 4 to Kob Srov Dam Lake. However, he did not specify the name of the new canal as it is newly created.
“The canal is next to the railway, and we are working on it,” he said.
Sen Sok district governor Mov Manit said authorities were continuing to rehabilitate a number of main canals for flood relief, including Pong Peay and Toul Sampov canals and some secondary canals to release flood water in the north of the capital.
“Pong Peay and Tuol Sampov are the two main canals in the north of Phnom Penh and there is a sub-canal called ‘centipedes’ feet’ canal. We are rehabilitating a section of about 2km long to release water,” he said.
