On September 27, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council approved the adjustment of the investment policy for the project of dredging, improving the environment and building infrastructure of Xuyen Tam canal (from Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal to Vam Thuat river) in Binh Thanh and Go Vap districts.
Previously, at the end of 2022, this project was approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council with a total investment of more than VND 9,660 billion, of which more than VND 6,500 billion was for compensation and resettlement.
Initially, about 1,900 cases were affected, but after review, this number increased to 2,260, mainly in Binh Thanh district with 2,122 cases, while Go Vap district had only 138 cases.
In particular, there are 1,273 cases of white clearance in Binh Thanh district and 40 cases in Go Vap district.
Due to the application of new compensation prices according to the 2024 Land Law, the cost of compensation and support for people is expected to increase by more than 7,300 billion VND, bringing the total compensation amount to nearly 14,000 billion VND, pushing the total project investment to more than 17,000 billion VND.
According to a previous report from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City, Go Vap District has implemented compensation according to the 2013 Land Law in two phases. In the first phase, the district has mobilized 43 cases to agree to receive early compensation.
However, the project in Binh Thanh district has not yet carried out land acquisition work, so it will be implemented according to the 2024 Land Law.
Due to the difference in policies between the two districts, compensation for the remaining 95 cases in Go Vap district will be difficult if the 2013 Land Law is still applied. This may lead to disagreement, as Binh Thanh district is applied a better policy under the 2024 Land Law.
Therefore, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment recommends applying the compensation policy according to the 2024 Land Law for the entire Go Vap district to ensure fairness and avoid complaints.
For 43 cases in Go Vap district that agreed in the first phase, although there was a decision to reclaim land and a compensation plan according to the 2013 Land Law, the Department proposed to still apply a new policy to ensure the rights of these households.
Xuyen Tam Canal is nearly 9km long, flowing through Binh Thanh and Go Vap districts, and is one of the most polluted canals in Ho Chi Minh City.
The project to renovate the main canal, nearly 6.7km long, from Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal to Vam Thuat river, along with three branches longer than 2.2km (including Son, Binh Trieu and Binh Loi bridges).
The canal bed will be dredged to a depth of 3.5m and a width of 20-30m, along with a synchronous wastewater and rainwater collection system. Roads will be built on both sides of the canal with two lanes each 6m wide, sidewalks 3-4m wide, along with parks and green areas. The project also includes a complete lighting system, aiming to beautify the urban area and improve the environment.
Initially, the project in Go Vap district was scheduled to start construction in August 2024, while the project in Binh Thanh district was scheduled to start construction in April 2025, with the goal of completing the entire project in 2028. However, due to waiting for the application of new compensation prices according to the 2024 Land Law, the groundbreaking plan was delayed.
