A tidal-control sluice gate under HCM City's long-delayed flood-control project. City authorities have proposed $102 million in additional works to strengthen the flood-defence system as the project nears completion. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City has proposed investing nearly VNĐ2.66 trillion (US$100.8 million) in 19 embankments and tidal-control structures to improve the effectiveness of its long-delayed flood-control project, as authorities rush to complete the scheme by 2026 under a government directive.

The proposal, submitted by the Department of Agriculture and Environment to the municipal People's Committee on Thursday, would fill gaps in the city's outer flood-defence network by connecting the additional infrastructure to the project's six tidal-control sluices and embankment system.

Seventeen projects worth more than VNĐ2.3 trillion would be financed from the city budget and completed by 2027, while two projects costing about VNĐ359 billion would be developed by private investors.

The proposed works include new embankments and tidal sluices at several flood-prone locations, including a VNĐ540 billion tidal-control sluice in Hiệp Phước Commune and a VNĐ450 billion embankment and sluice on Tam Đệ Canal.

The proposal comes after the Government ordered HCM City to complete the first phase of the flood-control project by 2026, warning that both the city government and the project's investor would be held accountable for any further delays.

Construction of the project began in 2016 under a build-transfer (BT) contract with Trung Nam Group. Initially budgeted at nearly VNĐ10 trillion, its total investment has risen to more than VNĐ14.4 trillion after years of delays caused by legal and financing disputes.

Despite more than 90 per cent of construction being completed, the project has remained stalled while the city and the investor seek agreement on payment arrangements under the BT contract.

Designed to protect about 570 square kilometres of HCM City and over 6.5 million residents from tidal flooding, the project consists of six large tidal-control sluices and 7.8 kilometres of embankments along the Sài Gòn River.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment said the additional projects would close remaining gaps in the city's flood-control network, where several drainage outlets and dike sections still lack tidal gates or sluices, reducing the overall effectiveness of the system once the main project becomes operational. — VNS