Residents chip in with funds to build sewer, stop flooding on HCMC street

On New Year’s Day a section of An Phu Dong 35 Street in An Phu Dong Ward reopened to traffic after more than a month of repairs.

When the rains arrived in April last year a 400-meter-long section of An Phu Dong 35 Street, which runs around four kilometers and meets National Highway 1, was flooded as usual.

For six months after that residents on the street had to put up with flooding, which prevented them from doing businesses, destroyed parts of the road, created potholes, and severely slowed down both vehicles and pedestrians.

According to ward authorities, the road had no drainage system.

Its high traffic density combined with the stagnating water caused the road to deteriorate even further and rapidly.

In 2021 and 2022 the ward began upgrading a section of the road, but the work stalled due to lack of funds, and was eventually abandoned.

In July last year ward authorities pleaded with the district administration to upgrade the road, but were told there were no funds for it.

Eventually, the 114 families living in the affected stretch agreed in November last year to contribute their own money for the work.

It was also agreed that while they contributed VND1.7 billion (US$68,900) to build a sewer, the district would upgrade the road at a cost of VND1.9 billion.

Each family with houses along the street contributed VND800,000 for every meter of frontage, while those living in alleys contributed half that amount.

Now the section has a 400-m underground sewer and is covered with a new layer of asphalt concrete.

A local named Thom, 40, who contributed VND6 million, said there always used to be slush and whenever a large vehicle drove over it, the dirty water would splash into his house.

Kiem, who paid VND4 million, said: "I just want to get it done so I can get my business and life back to normal again."

Tho, 57, said his family was "happy" to contribute VND1.4 million.

"My neighbors and I together built the road and I am totally cool with that."