On January 7, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction issued a document to several ward- and commune-level People’s Committees, calling for stricter enforcement against unlicensed and illegal construction encroaching on protected river, canal and waterway corridors.
The move aims to protect the lives and property of residents living along waterways and to proactively prevent and respond to riverbank and canal erosion.
The department also requested local authorities to actively encourage residents and businesses to dismantle, or forcibly remove if necessary, illegal structures built within protected corridors along rivers, canals and waterways.
In addition, the Waterway Management Center was assigned to coordinate with relevant local authorities to inspect and address violations involving encroachment on rivers, canals, and waterways serving inland waterway transport.
