State President Truong Tan Sang inaugurated the environmental clean-up project of the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal along Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Streets across five districts of Ho Chi Minh City, at a ceremony attended by Le Thanh Hai, City Party Secretary and Le Hoang Quan, chairman of the City People’s Committee, along with leaders from various departments.
According to the Department of Transport, since the 1990s the City leaders had decided to convert the canal area as a focal point of Ho Chi Minh City, but at that time so many poor migrants moved to inhabit
the area and built temporary houses, with all their waste flowing directly into the canal.
This added to the pollution levels of the canal and over the years, the canal water became black, grimy and let out a perpetual stench.
From 1993-1998, Ho Chi Minh City cleared away thousands of low-roofed temporary house structures and made way for roads along the canal.
The environmental project to clean-up the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal kicked off in 2003 at a total cost of US$317 million, which included equipment to dredge the canal, install a drainage system, and upgrade Hoang Sa and Truong Sa Streets, making them among the most beautiful streets in HCMC.
The rows of trees and ornamental plants have already begun to green the streets, planted at a cost of VND400 billion (US$20,000).
Addressing the ceremony, Le Hoang Quan, chairman of the People’s Committee, said this environmental project to clean-up the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal will help in reducing pollution in the City and contribute towards raising people’s living standards in Districts 1,3 Tan Binh, Binh Thanh and Phu Nhuan, as well as ease traffic congestion in these areas.
