With last week’s powerful typhoon Hato and its follow-up act Pakhar in the rear-view mirror, Hong Kong’s Drainage Services Department today conceded improvements to the city’s drainage system are in order after the city experienced severe flooding in some areas.
Speaking on a local radio program, the Department’s Land Drainage Division chief engineer, Ho Yiu-kwong, said the drains would have inevitably been clogged by leaves and small branches from fallen trees after a heavy downpour and storms, Oriental Daily reports.
But drains in some districts, including Kennedy Town and Wong Chuk Hang, were simply not up to par, he added, saying that the authorities would monitor flood situations in the concerned areas closely in the future.
So did blockages really contribute that much to the flooding? Ho insisted no.
Playing down the effect of blocked drains during last week’s level 10 Typhoon Hato, the chief engineer pointed out that all the flooded spots were in low-lying areas along the city’s shoreline, and insisted workers always made sure the city’s drains are clear ahead of storms.
The government received a total of 26 reports of flooding during the two storms. Heng Fa Chuen, on the city’s east side, was one of the worst-hit areas, suffering knee-high floods from incoming seawater.
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