The local government has submitted to the State Council in Beijing a master plan for flood-prevention projects for the city’s Inner Harbour area, Victor Chan Chi Ping, the government’s chief spokesman, said yesterday.
Chan made the remarks during a special press conference about the government’s ongoing disaster relief measures for the aftermath of Typhoon Hato which killed 10 people. The press conference, co-hosted by Chan and a number of other officials, was held at the Government Information Bureau (GCS) in Nam Van.
The low-lying area along the west coast of the peninsula is particularly susceptible to floods during torrential rain, or a typhoon coupled with a high tide. Seven of the 10 deaths were caused by drowning in the area during Hato’s onslaught on Wednesday.
Chan made the remarks when answering questions from the media about what projects the government plans to launch to improve the drainage system in the Inner Harbour area.
Chan said that in 2015 the local government commissioned a water resources research institute in Guangdong to carry out a master study about possible flood-prevention projects in Guangdong and Macau with the aim of tackling the flooding issue in the Inner Harbour area.
Chan said the local government also commissioned the research institute in 2015 to carry out a study about the feasibility of constructing a tidal gate between the west coast of the Macau Peninsula and Wanzai in Zhuhai.
Chan said that the planned tidal gate project was to prevent flooding in the Inner Harbour area during high tides coupled with strong typhoons.
Chan pointed out that the master plan for flood-prevention projects has already been submitted to the State Council, adding that the local government was waiting for relevant ministries in Beijing to provide their opinions about the plan.
Chan said that solving the flooding issue of the Inner Harbour area was not only a matter for the local government to tackle as it involved cooperation with the mainland authorities.
Concerning the tidal gate project, Chan said that the local government aimed to submit its plans to the central government by the end of next year, after the research institute finished the feasibility study of the project.
