HCM City backs flood prevention plan. (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – The HCM City government has signed up private firm Trungnam Group to carry out a massive anti-flood project in build-transfer mode.
The 9.93 trillion VND (441.3 million USD) project will include a 7.8km embankment along the Saigon river and three pumping stations at the Ben Nghe, Tan Thuan, and Phu Dinh sluices respectively in districts 4, 7 and 8.
Six flood control gates in Ben Nghe, Tan Thuan, Phu Xuan, Muong Chuoi, Cay Kho, and Phu Dinh along the Saigon and 25 drains under the embankment will also be built.
All the work will be carried out in districts 1,4,7,8, Nha Be, and Binh Chanh while the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam will fund it.
Land acquisition is expected to be wrapped up in the fourth quarter of next year at a cost of 1.79 trillion VND (79.6 million USD), according to Trungnam Group.
Once completed in 2018, the work will prevent the flooding caused by high tides on an area of 570 square kilometres, which affects around 6.5 million residents.
In August the Government Office announced that the Prime Minister had approved a special mechanism for HCM City to carry out anti-flood works in BT mode.
There were a total of 76 high tides with their peaks exceeding 1.5 metres, according to the city's statistics.
Around 63.5 percent of the city is situated within 1.5 metres above sea level.
The city plans to earmark more than 156 trillion VND (6.93 billion USD) for anti-flood works over the next five years.-VNA
