The HCM City Department of Construction has sought VNĐ19.28 trillion for 25 canal upgrade projects that will remove 6,500 makeshift houses built on canal banks. Photo: sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — The city administration should prioritise capital allocation for 25 canal upgrade projects, the municipal Department of Construction has said.

It has asked the Department of Planning and Investment to advise the city administration accordingly, specifying that a total capital of VNĐ19.28 trillion will be needed to implement the projects, including site clearance, compensation for 6,500 households along the canals and the upgrade work.

According to the construction department, the 25 projects have been divided into three priority groups to improve wastewater drainage in tandem with removing makeshift houses along canals to revitalise the urban landscape.

The first group of projects would relocate a total of 3,220 makeshift houses at the Xuyên Tâm, Hy Vọng and Văn Thánh canals in Gò Vấp, Tân Bình and Bình Thạnh districts respectively.

The first group will need a total investment of VNĐ12.5 trillion.

The second group of 14 projects will expand and upgrade Tôn Thất Thuyết Street and a park on the banks of the Kênh Tẻ Canal in District 4 (third phase); the Khánh Hội Lake park in District 4 (fourth phase); the Hàng Bàng Canal in District 6 (fifth phase);

The second group of projects will also clear the site for upgrading the Cầu Sơn Canal in Bình Thạnh District, the Nhật Bản and A41 canals in Tân Bình District, preventing landslides in the Thanh Đa Peninsula in Bình Thạnh District; draining wastewater and reducing pollution in the Tham Lương-Bến Cát-Nước Lên Canal (second phase) in districts 12 and Gò Vấp; and building the Vàm Thuật sluicegate in District 12.

The third group of eight projects, which are being completed to seek public investment, includes one to build the wastewater drainage system in the Bảo Ngân Canal in districts 3 and Phú Nhuận, the Bàu Trâu Canal in districts 6 and Tân Phú, and upgrade the Hàng Bàng in District 5 (second phase).

The city of 13 million people has tried to beautify its canals and urban landscape over more than two decades and achieved some impressive results, but this is still far short of what needs to be done, according to the construction department.

Between 2016 and 2020, the city planned to relocate more than 20,000 shacks along its canals. However, only 7,260 of them have been relocated so far. VNS