HCMC to dredge 18 polluted canals in central districts

By Thien Ngon   July 9, 2016 | 03:13 am PT
A long-due response to repeated requests from local citizens.

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) will begin dredging 18 polluted water and drainage canals located in two of its central districts, with deadline set to be end of next year.

The city's Center for Urban Flood Control is responsible for the task. It was requested to accelerate dredging and to ensure free flow of water of the canal system in District 12 and Hoc Mon District.

“The drainage and flood prevention project for residential areas in District 12 and Hoc Mon must be finished within 2016-2017,” said Le Van Khoa, Deputy Chairman of HCMC People’s Committee.

The center is required to have a suitable plan for transporting dirt and waste from the canals so as not to pollute the city any further and keep the process neat and tidy. 

In May, HCMC Party Committee Secretary Dinh La Thang, during his visit to Hoc Mon District, was informed by locals about the polluted canals, which reeked of rubbish. 

Thang later asked relevant departments and the two districts authorities to resolve the environmental issue definitively.

HCMC has over 5,000 km of rivers, water channels and canals which form a flood prevention system. After decades of development, the city has only been able to renovate and dredge about 80 km of these waterways.

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