Le Thanh Liem, director of the City Urban Upgrading Project Management Board and investor of the project to clean up Tan Hoa-Lo Gom Canal, said that they would try their best to minimize flooding caused by on-going construction of the project.
According to Liem, they have completed 32 percent of the project and the installation of box drains alongside roads is 64 percent complete, which is three months before schedule.
He admitted that the implementation of the project has been slow resulting in inundation in parts of the city when there is heavy rain.
However they could not speed up the project due to several difficulties including sluggish site clearance. Related districts should have handed over the space for the project by June last year at the latest. However, nearly 40 households are still refusing to move out.
Besides, removal of electricity, water lines and telecom infrastructure has been very slow with several units in charge.
Heavy traffic flow on roads running across the canal and densely populated housing in the area had forced the contractor to transport materials and waste mud during nights.
As a result, flooding was unavoidable during the rainy season this year.
However, Liem said that the Urban Upgrading Project Management Board will strive to minimize the inundation from now.
Since early this year, they had prompted consultancy units and contractors to speed up the project and prepare large pumps at flood prone spots along the canal in case of heavy rains.
They have also regularly dredged and broadened the current water flow in the canal. Installation of the box drain system is expected to complete by July this year to connect with drainage system in adjacent areas.
Construction of roads over the box drains will complete by the end of this year.
