$22.3 mln canal upgrade planned to prevent HCMC airport flooding

The Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Projects Management Unit under the city's Department of Construction is expected to submit the proposal at the next meeting of the HCMC People's Council, the city legislature.

The cost for upgrading the 1.8-km-long canal in Tan Binh District, which lies to the city's northwest and is home to the country's largest airport, is estimated at VND136 billion; the rest of the money is to be used for land clearance compensation and consultancy fees.

The Hy Vong Canal has been heavily polluted and clogged for many years now, severely hindering its water drainage function. This has caused flooding in the airport and negatively impacted the lives of residents along the canal.

The Hy Vong Canal upgrade project was originally approved by HCMC authorities in 2013.

In 2014, the project received funding from the World Bank as part of a bigger flooding management project for HCMC. However, the World Bank stopped funding the project in 2017, and the Hy Vong Canal upgrade was put on hold, awaiting new sources of funding.

Earlier, authorities in Tan Binh District said slow implementation of the project had seen local residents dump their garbage into the canal for years, badly clogging it and rendering it incapable of draining rainwater from the airport effectively, resulting in flooding during heavy rains.

In addition to Hy Vong Canal, there are three other drainage canals around the airport that also need upgrades.

The Tan Son Nhat International Airport is a frequent victim of flooding. In 2015, heavy rains flooded several parts of the airport, with water rising to as high as 20 centimeters, threatening to compromise the airport’s power generators, and prompting employees to barricade the area with sand bags.