Tan Son Nhat airport drainage projects remain consigned to paper

ngap_tan_son_nhat_1_pdbz_mhtn The flooding at Tan Son Nhat International Airport

 10 June 20 Dan Tri International Source Projects to upgrade several canals linked to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City remain delayed due to tardy site clearance and lack of investment, so the airport would continue facing flooding in the rainy season.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport is drained by the A41, Hy Vong and Nhat Ban canals.

The A41 Canal has been seriously encroached upon and turned into a dumping site, particularly the area from Phan Thuc Duyen to Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh District

Some sections are fully covered by rubbish, with the canal just half a metre deep compared to its 3.5-metre design capacity.

Nguyen Van Binh, a local resident, said that the canal has become more contaminated. Despite being full of litter over the past six months, he had seen no workers sent to deal with the pollution.

The project to revive A41 Canal was kicked off by late 2017 and slated for completion in 2018; but, to date, site clearance has not yet been finished. In some cases, the canal bed has been built on.

Tan Binh District's authorities have submitted compensation plan to the city's Department of Natural Resources and Environment for consideration.

Hy Vong Canal is in the same situation as it is ravaged by rubbish, especially the section from Pham Van Bach Street to Tham Luong Canal. Hoanh Thi Lai who lives near the Hy Vong Canal said that it is common to see piles of litter in the canal whenever it rains heavily.

Hy Vong Canal upgrade project was initially scheduled to be carried out in 2013, but was only approved in 2016. However, in 2017, the World Bank announced it would stop the financial support package of USD400 million for HCM City's anti-flooding projects. Since then, the Hy Vong Canal work has been delayed.

Nguyen Hoang Anh Dung, deputy director of the project management board, said that the board was seeking HCM City authorities' approval for the VND150-billion (USD6,521) for the project.

Vu Van Diep, an official from the HCM City Department of Construction, said that it is the rapid urbanisation and the overloading of the drainage system were the main causes for the flooding in HCM City.

At present, 22 spots in HCM City are regularly inundated such as Nguyen Van Khoi, Le Van Luong, Ho Hoc Lam, To Ngoc Van and Nguyen Huu Canh streets.
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