The Economics and Budget Committee under the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council and some agencies yesterday surveyed an anti-flooding project on the right bank of Saigon river that has been delayed since 2011.
According to the HCMC Steering Center for Urban Flood Control Program, the project aims to cope with high tide triggered flooding in Saigon river and climate change to protect 1,600 hectares of urban land with about 25,000 citizens.
The project will build 8.2 kilometers of concrete embankment together with drain system from Rach Ngang bridge to Thu Thiem new urban area at the total capital of VND993 billion (US$44.52 million). It locates in Truong Tho ward, Thu Duc and An Phu, Thao Dien and Binh An wards in District 2.
Despite being approved since 2011, the project has not been carried out because of boundary overlapping with other projects in the area. Some adjustments have been made to reduce compensation and site clearance costs.
Afterwards, the center has five times submitted the adjusted project to authorized agencies for approval with no success from October 2012 to December 2015 although the city People’s Council has approved the investment policy of the project.
The center proposed to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to soon access and approve the changed project.
Deputy head of the Economics and Budget Committee Nguyen Van Lam required the project’s investor to do more specific surveys and send a document to the city People’s Committee to apply sanctions to individuals and businesses with houses approaching land along the right bank of Saigon river.
He asked the center to build the work in accordance with other projects that had been passed before in the area and dyke sections built by local citizens.
In addition, the investor and management board of Thu Thiem new urban area should coordinate with investors of other real estate projects alongside the river to build the embankment encompassing Thu Thiem peninsular synchronously, he said.
He also required the Department of Planning and Investment to consult for the city People’s Committee to facilitate the attendance by BT (Build-Transfer) investors in the project.
