As of February 17 morning, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai and relevant departments, sectors and units came to the construction site to check the project progress as well as extended Tet wishes to engineers and workers on the Tham Luong - Ben Cat- Nuoc Len canal infrastructure construction and environmental renovation project connecting Long An Province via Cho Dem River and Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces via Saigon River.
Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board Nguyen Hoang Anh Dung informed that the project is currently being implemented as planned; however, the sites in some places have not been handed over yet to serve the construction. Therefore, the unit proposed the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee direct relevant units to remove problems for the site handover to promptly deploy construction in Binh Tan, Tan Binh, Binh Chanh districts and District 12.
Besides, the project management board suggested the Municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment soon consider and consult the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to approve gathering mud, soil and land after dredging the canal bed.
In addition, the sand supply source for the project is also a main obstacle.
Reporting briefly the project progress, Deputy Director Nguyen Hoang Anh Dung said that the entire route has a total length of 32 kilometers through Binh Tan, Tan Phu, Tan Binh, Go Vap, Binh Thanh, Binh Chanh districts and District 12, with a total investment of VND8,200 billion (US$334,000).
The project started construction at the end of February 2023 with the purpose of drainage and flood prevention, solving environmental pollution, connecting transport infrastructure and creating motivation for the city’s socio-economic development.
The project has concentrated on building 19 sewers, 12 boat wharves and three bridges along with rainwater drainage systems, lighting and tree systems on the entire route.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board (the project investor), the project is divided into ten construction packages.
After a year of construction, the project reached more than 50 percent of the total volume. Of which, the embankment construction item reached nearly 49 percent of the volume.
According to Mr. Dung, the project has been facing various difficulties on sites as some households have not received compensation for site clearance and numerous areas have had their sites reclaimed but have been re-encroached by households.
After grasping the report, Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Phan Van Mai directed that the contractor had to proactively find the sand sources and the city would find ways to assist.
Besides, the sewage sludge will be transferred to the Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex in Binh Chanh District and in case the sludge can be leveled, it will be temporarily organized on-site and the remaining amount will be brought to Go Vap Park.
Leaders of the city districts are responsible for controlling the re-encroachment of reclaimed sites.
Chairman Mai stressed that this is the key project so the main investor and relevant units should ultimately make efforts to inaugurate the project on April 30, 2025.
