The renovation and upgrading of canals in Ho Chi Minh City not only helps solve the flooding problem, but also creates a green, airy space to serve people. In particular, the environmental improvement and infrastructure construction project along the Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Nuoc Len canal is one of the projects that people are waiting for and expecting a lot.
According to Lao Dong newspaper reporters, the bright spot of the entire Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Nuoc Len canal renovation project is in the section passing through An Nhon ward (formerly District 12). This area is clearly changing.
This place used to be a wild land, overgrown with grass, now it has formed a spacious and clean road along the canal, attracting a large number of people to take a walk and exercise every morning and evening.
Taking her children to exercise on the canal road, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Ha said that she was happy that this place was changing very clearly.
"I moved to this area in 2019, when this was still a pristine area, overgrown with grass, covered with garbage, polluted, odorful, and deserted space. Now this place has a road along the canal, becoming a place where more people walk, exercise, and the air is much cleaner," Ms. Ha happily shared.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Lam Dien, who has been in this area for nearly 30 years, said that he has witnessed a period of prolonged pollution of canals, waste stagnating, thick black water and foul odors.
For nearly 20 years, this section of the canal has been very polluted, the living environment has been severely affected. When implementing the project, there was a long time when the project progress through this area was very sluggish. Currently, the landscape is gradually changing, so it is so happy, said Mr. Dien, hoping that the project will soon complete the remaining parts, bringing a better living environment to the people.
The environmental improvement project, infrastructure construction along the Tham Luong - Ben Cat - Nuoc Len canal, started in February 2023, with a total initial investment of VND8,200 billion and then adjusted to more than VND9,000 billion. The canal is nearly 32 km long, flowing through 7 districts that previously included District 12, Binh Tan, Tan Phu, Tan Binh, Go Vap, Binh Thanh and Binh Chanh.
To date, the entire project has completed more than 52% of the volume, of which the section under the XL-08 package in Go Vap district, District 12 and Binh Tan district previously reached over 57%, and has been technically open to traffic since April.
The main completed items include building concrete embankments on both sides of the canal, dredging the canal bed, building 7-12 m wide parallel roads, drainage systems, lighting, trees, along with 19 drainage culverts, 12 boat docks and 3 canal overpasses.
The project is expected to be completed, Ho Chi Minh City will have an additional canal to improve the drainage system for about 15,000 hectares, reduce flooding, improve regional traffic and increase connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces.
At the same time, it contributes to environmental protection, improving the quality of life of people, creating a green - clean - beautiful community living space, opening up many expectations for the city's sustainable development in the future.
