PHÚ THỌ — The project consolidating the Thao River’s left bank and Lô River’s right bank in northern Phú Thọ Province is expected to be completed this year and stop plaguing locals with dust and noise.

The project, with more than VNĐ264 billion (US$11.8 million) of investment, was initiated by the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and was meant to be finished last year.

However, up to now, the project is only half finished.

Head of the agriculture department’s project management board Nguyễn Đức Lương said progress was slowed in 2013 when the province could not arrange resettlement areas for locals.

As of March 2015, infrastructure in the resettlement area was available but residents refused to move due to low compensation, he said.

The compensation rate which was approved in 2013 did not meet residents’ current needs.

Lương said that to speed up the dyke embankment project, the provincial People’s Committee late last month agreed to offer higher compensation for residents.

The project also affects the daily lives of residents living on the road on which trucks carrying materials to work run.

Nguyễn Quyết Chiến, living in Bến Gót Ward, the province’s Việt Trì City said that for the last six years, hundreds of families living on Thạch Khanh Street suffered from dust and noise from the trucks.

“Trucks run noisily around the clock,” he said, adding that they closed doors and windows most of the time because of dust.

Local residents blocked roads with rocks and trees, he said.

The project constructor and transport company sprayed water to tackle the dust a few times but this had little affect.

Vice chairman of Bến Gót Ward People’s Committee Trần Anh Đức said that the project had negatively impacted locals.

The committee called for relevant parties to keep a clean environment and complete the work soon, he said. — VNS