It was installed last Saturday to alert commuters about flooding on Nguyen Huu Canh in Binh Thanh District and suggest alternative routes. The system has a camera, flood warning light, flood-measuring sensor, data storage boxes, and solar batteries.

During rains, if the water level on the street exceeds 20 cm, the warning light will continuously flash red and data will be transferred to the server and mobile phones of people who use an app called "canhbaongap" (flood warning), with alternative routes suggested to avoid the flooded street.

The warning system will go off when the waters recede.

If the system works well, the city will install similar systems in other flood-prone areas. 

The monitoring station and flood warning system installed on Nguyen Huu Canh Street
in Binh Thanh District, HCMC. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Nguyen.

Authorities have been keen on preventing flooding on Nguyen Huu Canh Street, which connects the central District 1 with District 2, home to a large expat community, and approved its comprehensive renovation at a cost of VND473 billion ($20.4 million).

But the work may not be completed before the 2020 rainy season.

Earlier the city signed a rental deal worth VND14.2 billion ($608,400) with Quang Trung Industry Group Joint Stock Company to install a water pump on the street to prevent flooding.

When it opened to traffic in 2002 the street was expected to play a major role in easing traffic flows, but not long afterwards it began to subside and flood every time it rained.

Now it is on the list of most flood-prone areas in the city. It was one of the worst hit when torrential rains triggered by storm Usagi hit Saigon last November.

The city of 13 million frequently suffers flooding from river tides and heavy rains, and scenes of people getting stuck or wading in deep waters has become increasingly common. Rapid construction and poor investment in integration system are usually blamed for the problem.