The Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Water environment hygiene project (estimated cost of around US$200 million) kicked off in 2003, but remains unfinished. The construction has seriously influenced people living along the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe canal.
The canal runs from Tan Binh District to Binh Thanh District, through the wards 1 and 5 in Tan Binh District, and under Nguyen Van Troi Bridge in Phu Nhuan District and is profusely full of garbage.
People live amidst this disease-ridden squalor of polluted air and foul smells. Some children have contracted dengue fever, said ward 5 residents of Tan Binh District.
The project was expected to complete in 2006. The contractor had promised that the construction would be finished by the beginning of this year. However, as of now, the project remains in utter disorder, with piles of concrete pales and deep holes that have filled with water. The construction areas are fenced in and do not receive any care. Meanwhile, children often gather there to fly kites and play football.
As a result, flooding and traffic jams in the area are getting more serious.
The functional departments have to solve the issue of stalled construction projects and impose strict punishments on contractors who do not ensure progress, quality or adhere to environment safety standards.
The local authorities also should enhance people’s awareness of environmental protection to make Nhieu Loc- Thi Nghe become a green and clean canal.
