Site clearance efforts last through the night in the once residential area of Hồng Hà Ward, Hà Nội to make way for the Trần Hưng Đạo Bridge project. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — As Hà Nội and many localities nationwide step up investment in transport and other infrastructure to unlock new growth drivers and advance long-term urban transformation, distorted narratives on social media aimed at undermining site clearance efforts and denying public consensus must not be allowed to obstruct projects that serve the public interest and development goals of the country.

Transport infrastructure development is a key task for the capital, closely linked with Hà Nội's master plan and the implementation of the revised Capital Law.

A series of major projects, including ring roads, urban railways, national railways and regional economic connectivity projects, such as the Red River Landscape Boulevard Axis, are being implemented to enhance connectivity, promote the growth of Hà Nội and the country, and lay the foundation for urban reconstruction in a modern and sustainable direction.

Aside from Hà Nội, HCM City and many other major hubs and localities across the country are ramping up investment in transport and urban infrastructure as well as regional connectivity, laying a foundation to broaden development space, enhance competitiveness and spur economic growth in the new era.

At a working session with the Hà Nội Party Committee’s standing board earlier this year, Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm applauded the capital’s progress, particularly improvements in site clearance for key transport projects, which have gained public consensus.

This is considered an important factor enabling Hà Nội to speed up strategic projects, thus creating new development momentum for the capital and the key northern economic region.

The simultaneous implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects not only demonstrates the municipal authorities’ strong political determination, but also translates the Party’s and State’s major policies on strategic infrastructure development into action, creating a foundation for realising double-digit growth targets of Hà Nội and the country in line with the 14th National Party Congress Resolution.

These projects are also expected to create new room for the real estate market, public investment and regional connectivity infrastructure development, while paving the way for the restructuring and reconstruction of the entire urban space and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, some misleading narratives circulating on social media have deliberately distorted the site clearance process, denied public consensus and people’s willingness to make sacrifices for the greater good, as well as dismissed the sound policies and developmental significance of these projects.

In reality, however, implementation has shown broad public consensus in support of the common interest, while the municipal authorities continue to place resettlement policies, social welfare and people’s livelihoods at the heart of the process.

Towards this goal, Hà Nội is accelerating site clearance, long regarded as the most difficult task and the biggest bottleneck affecting investment efficiency and construction progress.

The city is speeding up construction and land clearance to ensure progress on key projects, such as ring roads 2.5, 3.5 and 4 as well as urban railway projects and national railway projects, including the North-South high-speed railway and the Lào Cai–Hà Nội–Hải Phòng railway.

At a recent meeting on removing obstacles to site clearance for the Ring Road 2.5 and Ring Road 3.5 projects – two key transport arteries in the capital – Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Vũ Đại Thắng asked local authorities to intensify efforts and complete several sections before May 30, while accelerating resettlement arrangements and beginning construction immediately in areas where cleared land is available.

Ensuring the rights and interests of residents in planned areas is regarded as a matter of utmost importance and a consistent guiding principle of the municipal People’s Committee leadership.

Thắng asked local authorities to continue mobilising the entire political system, while departments and agencies were instructed to promptly resolve issues under their authority, especially by approving the price of resettlement housing and allocating the housing and land areas so that residents can quickly stabilise their lives in new homes.

At the same time, investors were told to immediately begin construction in areas where site clearance has been completed, avoiding situations in which land is available but projects are delayed, which could erode public trust.

For cases requiring the relocation of enterprises, factories and industrial clusters, the city requested the early development of appropriate support mechanisms to ensure production continuity, employment and livelihoods for workers.

Thắng also stressed the need to guarantee social welfare during land recovery, with particular attention given to disadvantaged households and vulnerable groups to prevent complicated complaints.

Site clearance has consistently been carried out in a transparent manner, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of residents. From projects that had remained stalled for years, such as Ring Road 1 and Ring Road 2.5, Hà Nội is now demonstrating clear improvements in site clearance work.

A typical example is the Hoàng Cầu–Voi Phục section of the Ring Road 1 project, which had been delayed for many years due to site clearance issues involving thousands of households. After more than five months of implementing the two-tier local administration model, compensation, resettlement and land recovery procedures for 1,295 households have basically been completed, nearly doubling the results reported over the previous seven years.

When direct engagement with each household, listening to residents' concerns and public outreach are combined with transparent policies and strict legal discipline, many longstanding bottlenecks can be resolved quickly.

In particular, preparing sufficient resettlement housing and land areas from the outset helps reassure residents and stabilise their lives, thus shortening implementation time.

Recognising the importance of preparing resettlement housing funds, under the recently issued Plan 144/KH-UBND, the municipal People’s Committee asked agencies to review and assess resettlement demand in order to implement independent compensation, support and resettlement projects before approving investment policies for major construction works.

Biased information on some social media platforms has deliberately focused on relocation and land recovery issues to distort the city’s infrastructure development policies, even denying the consensus of residents in planned areas.

Such narratives ignore the essence of the issue, that infrastructure development is an inevitable requirement for expanding urban space, easing congestion, strengthening regional connectivity and creating new growth momentum for the capital and surrounding areas.

At the same time, such misleading information deliberately overlooks the fact that residents themselves have proactively handed over land and coordinated with authorities so projects can proceed on schedule for the long-term common interest.

Every stage of development inevitably requires sacrifice in pursuit of a better quality of life. The site clearance and relocation work in Hà Nội has continued overnight and through holidays with the strong support of residents. Old houses and gardens have made way for cleared land ready for construction.

These achievements have been made possible thanks to the consensus, contributions and sacrifices of residents in project areas. Although these places were home to decades of memories and attachments, the residents still agreed to relocate in the hope that projects will be implemented on schedule, helping expand infrastructure, giving the capital a facelift and contributing to national development.

Once people are aware of their responsibilities to the State, great benefits will come to the community and future generations. The unity and consensus of each individual have created the greatest motivation for projects to be completed soon and bring about a new face for the country.

When authorities act decisively, compensation and resettlement policies are implemented transparently, the rights of residents are guaranteed and mass mobilisation is prioritised, bottlenecks in site clearance can be completely removed.

What is happening in Hà Nội and many other localities nationwide shows that, although implementation inevitably causes initial impacts and disruptions, the great significance of these infrastructure projects lies in not just expanding development and creating new growth drivers, but also promoting urban reconstruction and improving the quality of life for residents.

Any distorted narratives, incitement or denial of infrastructure policies thus run counter to the interests of the community and the country’s development. — VNA/VNS