HCMC’s most populated district gets anti-flooding upgrades to canal

The city is carrying out the work on the two-kilometer canal at a cost of more than VND880 billion (US$35.8 million).

An embankment has been built as seen in this photo taken on Oct. 25.

Nguyen Duong Minh Duc, deputy director of the Binh Tan Construction Investment Project Management Unit, said the work is expected to finish in April 2025.

It will drain a 300-ha area, preventing flooding. The area includes the district People’s Committee office and a number of residential areas.

Binh Tan has a population of 800,000, the highest of any HCMC district.

Construction materials for the project piled up near Ba Tieng Bridge.

The city paid more than VND482 billion in compensation to acquire land for the work.

Workers work on the banks of the canal.

Iron frames strengthen a part of a bank.

The project has been fenced off to reduce impacts on nearby houses.

The canal was full of garbage and smelled foul before the upgrade began.

Dieu, who lives nearby, said the canal has been less stinky since the work started.

Nguyen Ngoc Ninh, another local, is worried since the digging has caused cracks in his house.

The construction forces him to set up a makeshift bridge to go to his scrap collection site every day.

A house near the canal with a cracked wall.

Duc said houses that have suffered cracks could have been built on weak foundations, and the digging impacted them.

"We will survey affected houses and help fix them," he promised.

A part of the canal not touched by the project yet.

The canal seen from above.