Chairman of Hà Nội's People's Committee, Vũ Đại Thắng, receives a progress briefing on the Đồng Bông 2 lake project. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Authorities in Hà Nội are racing to complete two major drainage projects to ease chronic flooding in the city’s western parts, pushing contractors to meet tight deadlines amid logistical and cost pressures.

Chairman of the city's People's Committee, Vũ Đại Thắng, inspected work on the Đồng Bông 2 regulating lake and the Thụy Phương canal upgrade on Wednesday, projects seen as central to replenishing the Tô Lịch River and curbing inundation in surrounding areas.

Construction on Đồng Bông 2 began in late February under an expedited process and is now about 65 per cent complete, according to project officials. The lake, designed to hold up to 600,000 cubic metres of water, is expected to operate after April 30, helping to absorb runoff during heavy rains.

Engineers say the surrounding embankment would be largely finished by April 25, with excavation of the lake bed due to wrap up days later. Most supporting infrastructure, including regulating and drainage culverts, is already in place.

Excavation works at the lake site. — VNA/VNS Photo

But the accelerated timeline has come with challenges. Transporting materials through congested inner-city roads has slowed progress, while rising fuel and construction costs have added pressure on contractors. Project managers have asked the city to consider price adjustment mechanisms to help offset the increases.

The second project, a US$35 million overhaul of the Thụy Phương canal, is about halfway complete. Stretching across several northern wards, it is designed to improve drainage for a 350-hectare catchment area while supplying a steady flow of water to the Tô Lịch River.

A nearly 4-kilometre conduit linking the canal to the river is under construction, with progress uneven across sections. Work along Hoàng Minh Thảo Street is more advanced, while sections along Võ Chí Công Street are still in earlier stages, including underground tunnelling.

More than 400 workers and heavy machinery have been deployed to keep construction running around the clock. However, progress has been complicated by overlapping utility infrastructure, including power and telecommunications lines, interference from other nearby projects and limited capacity at waste disposal sites.

Officials say key flood-control components, including a pumping station and sections of open canal and box culverts, are scheduled for completion by April 30. Infrastructure linked to replenishing water in the Tô Lịch River is expected to follow by the end of May.

Culverts are being installed along Võ Chí Công Street. — VNA/VNS Photo

At the construction site, Chairman Vũ Đại Thắng urged agencies and contractors to accelerate relocation of utilities and resolve bottlenecks to keep the projects on track. He also called for stable supplies of construction materials and adequate waste disposal capacity to keep work moving.

While pressing for speed, he warned against compromising on quality or safety, a recurring concern in fast-tracked infrastructure projects. He also stressed the April 30 and May 31 deadlines, urging agencies to treat the projects as a top priority and ensure they are completed on schedule. — VNS