An eroded riverbank in front of the Thới An Đông Ward People’s Committee office in Cần Thơ City’s Bình Thủy District. – VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Liêm

CẦN THƠ – The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ will build an additional 30-metre stretch of embankment at a site of erosion along the Trà Nóc River in Bình Thủy District.

A 140-metre section of bank in front of the Thới An Đông Ward People’s Committee office eroded last year and an embankment was being built, but recently another 30 metres eroded, and the additional section will be built to safeguard that area.  

The erosion is threatening the safety of the road in front of the office and two neighbouring houses.

The site is located at the T – junction of the Trà Nóc River and Thới Ninh Canal. The area has complex current flows and whirlpools besides strong waves caused by the wash of many large boats, all of which contributed to the severe erosion, according to the ward People’s Committee.

During a visit to inspect the eroded site on October 1, Nguyễn Thanh Dũng, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, instructed the Irrigation Sub-department to carry out procedures for construction of the additional section and submit for approval.

He also instructed it to ensure the contractor completes the ongoing 140-metre embankment construction on schedule.

The VNĐ14 billion (US$604,000) work is more than half complete and the rest is expected to be finished before Tết (Lunar New Year), which falls on February 12 next year.

The city has suffered 30 cases of erosion along its rivers so far this year, which affected a length of nearly 1,500 metres and caused property losses of VNĐ17 billion ($734,000), according to the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Eleven houses were destroyed and 67 others were partially damaged.

The city has sought VNĐ580 billion ($25 million) from the Government to build river embankments running a total length of four kilometres in Ô Môn and Bình Thủy districts. – VNS