HCMC initiates flood control project worth $446 mln

By Ngoc Hau June 3, 2016 | 04:54 am PT

Ho Chi Minh City has invested near $1.3 billion to deal with the flooding issue. Photo by VnExpress/An Nhon

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has signed a contract with a construction company aimed at protecting the city from flooding with total funding of $446 million.

The project, which aims to control tidal flooding and respond to climate change, is expected to be finished within 36 months. It will cover 750 square kilometers in an area that is home to 6.5 million people near the Saigon River and downtown HCMC.

The project will help to reduce water levels in the city's canals in order to improve the drainage system and environmental landscape. The project involves building a number of sewers and pumping stations.

In addition, a 7.8-kilometer dike will be constructed along the Saigon River with a supervisory control and data acquisition system that automatically monitors and controls the water level.

The project has already started in several districts in downtown HCMC. According to the contract, the city will pay 16 percent of the contract through land use rights and 84 percent in cash.