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| Downtown HCM City floods easily after heavy rains. Flood prevention in the city remains a challenge. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuấn |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has asked HCM City authorities to accelerate the flood control project worth VNĐ10 trillion (US$430 million), reported online newspaper vietnamplus.vn.
The Government Office sent an urgent letter to the HCM City People’s Committee on Friday on the implementation of phase one of the project.
In the letter, the deputy PM reiterated that the committee must take responsibility for investment and implementation and ensure that the project can be completed without wasting money.
The project, funded by Trung Nam Group, started in June 2016 with the aim of controlling river tides and being prepared for the effects of climate change. Tides and rising sea levels could affect an area of 570sq.km with 6.5 million people on the banks of the Sài Gòn River and in the centre of HCM City.
Despite being 72 per cent complete, the project was delayed for five months because of financial issues.
Despite disagreements between investors and the project consultancy and supervision unit, the committee initially did not intervene. Then, in late August, it asked the Government to hold a meeting with relevant ministries to solve the problem.
The project drew VNĐ1.9 trillion ($960.5 million) in private sector investment for the construction of three irrigation reservoirs, upgrades to the storm drain system and the Xuyên Tâm Canal and construction of seven wastewater treatment plants.
According to the initial schedule, the project should be completed by June next year. – VNS
