Residents travel through floodwaters on Đinh Bộ Lĩnh Street in HCM City’s Bình Thạnh Ward following heavy rainfall on September 23. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City authorities have approved the CRUS2 project, a major flood control, drainage and wastewater improvement scheme worth VNĐ7.69 trillion (US$294 million) for the western part of the city.

The Group A infrastructure project will be implemented in eight wards: Đông Hưng Thuận, Trung Mỹ Tây, Tân Thới Hiệp, An Hội Tây, Tân Sơn, Tây Thạnh, Tân Sơn Nhì, and Bình Hưng Hòa.

It will cover a total land area of approximately 528,000 square metres.

The project is managed by the city Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board and is scheduled to run from 2024 to 2029, in line with the city's approved investment policy.

CRUS2 aims to upgrade stormwater drainage and wastewater collection systems, reduce environmental pollution and alleviate chronic flooding across the western Sài Gòn catchment.

The project is also intended to enhance the city's resilience to climate change by improving urban infrastructure and reducing the risks associated with increasingly frequent extreme rainfall.

Of the total investment, about VNĐ5.06 trillion ($193 million) will come from a loan provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), while the remaining VNĐ2.63 trillion ($101 million) will be funded by the city's counterpart capital.

According to the approved project dossier, the scheme will not require land acquisition.

The investor has been instructed to review and fully determine land-use requirements and address any issues that may arise during implementation.

The municipal People's Committee said the project owner and consulting units would be legally responsible for the accuracy of all technical documents and financial data submitted for appraisal.

Authorities stressed that the approved investment amount serves as the basis for construction cost management and evaluating project efficiency, rather than for final settlement of project expenditures.

The director of the Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board has been tasked with organising and implementing the project in accordance with legal regulations and will be responsible for its overall management and execution.

The project owner has also been directed to urgently prepare and submit amendments to relevant zoning plans affected by CRUS2.

Should implementation extend beyond 2029 for objective reasons, additional project management funding must be submitted to the Department of Construction for appraisal. — VNS