To complete all necessary works to combat floods in the next five years, HCM City needs 51.3 trillion VND (2.35 billion USD), heard a meeting held on June 16 to discuss plans for flood control chaired by a deputy chairman of the city People's Committee.

The works include a rainwater drainage system, tide-control system and wastewater treatment facilities, according to the HCM City Flood Combating Centre.

To protect 55,450ha of inner districts from flooding, the city needs eight tide-control culverts, 68 sewers and hundreds of kilometres of embankment along the Saigon River and the extensive network of canals.

Construction of these structures is expected to be completed by 2018.

Others such as the drainage system and pumping stations will be built subsequently.

Funds for building and upgrading drainage systems is expected to come from the Government's coffers, the four waste water treatment plants will be funded by from PPPs (public-private partnership), and the remaining projects will raise loans.

The centre has called on the Government to approve the works so that they can get underway, provide funds for them, and instruct related ministries and agencies to dispatch experts to help HCM City oversee the works.

Vice Chairman of HCM City People's Committee Nguyen Huu Tin told the centre to finalise the anti-flooding project, especially the plans to repay loans taken for it.-VNA