$385mn flood control project in Ho Chi Minh City nears finish line as residents await operations

At the government’s regular September meeting and its teleconference with localities on Saturday, Nguyen Cong Vinh, vice-chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said the first phase of the project to control tidal flooding in the city, taking into account the impacts of climate change, is slated for operations in November.

The target is in line with instructions from the prime minister.

As observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper at the project site on Sunday morning, workers and machinery were being deployed to complete the remaining components at full capacity.

At the Tan Thuan and Phu Dinh tidal-control sluices, construction teams were working to finish landscaping, install navigation locks, and build management houses, pumping stations and embankment roads.

The accelerated construction has also been welcomed by residents living near the project sites, many of whom are looking forward to the day the system officially comes into operation.

Residents hope the project will allow the city to proactively regulate tidal levels and put an end to severe flooding caused by the combination of heavy rains and high tides, a problem that has disrupted daily life in many parts of Ho Chi Minh City for years.

“High tides and heavy rains often cause severe flooding in many areas of the city, making travel difficult,” said Lam Thi Soc, who has lived near Doi Canal for nearly 20 years.

“We are happy to see the project nearing completion.

“The new sidewalks and paved roads make the area much cleaner.

“My family has also raised our house floor to match the road level, making life more stable and our business more convenient.”

A representative from Trung Nam Construction Investment Corporation, the project’s investor, said all of the project’s major components have now reached more than 94 percent completion.

The Ben Nghe tidal-control sluice has already been completed in full.

The investor plans to conduct trial operations of the Tan Thuan, Phu Xuan, and Cay Kho tidal-control sluices in October.

In November, trial operations are scheduled for the Muong Chuoi and Phu Dinh tidal-control sluices, as well as the central management building.

Flood-control project to serve 6.5 million residents

The large-scale project comprises six major tidal-control sluices located at key river mouths, including Ben Nghe, Tan Thuan, Phu Xuan, Muong Chuoi, Cay Kho, and Phu Dinh.

It also includes two smaller tidal-control sluices: Cau Kinh and Ba Buom, along with six kilometers of embankments at vulnerable sections stretching from the Vam Thuat area to the Kinh River.

These sections are combined with 43 smaller tidal-control structures.

The project is designed to control high tides and mitigate the impacts of climate change across an area of about 570 square kilometers, home to some 6.5 million people along the right bank of the Saigon River and in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.