Authorities in HCM City have approved a plan to upgrade the Xuyen Tam Canal.
The plan was announced by vice chairwoman of the municipal People's Committee Phan Thi Thang at a meeting on Wednesday.
According to the plan, the upgrade project will include dredging mud and building dykes, roads, and green areas along the canal. The project would be carried out in two phases between 2023–2028. The first phase, which will use the largest amount of the investment, VND 6.60 trillion, will include site clearance and design work.Thang said that the project will play an important role in improving the lives of local people and facilitating social-economic development in the area.
"While collecting rubbish and dredging mud from the canal, we can improve the environment and at the same time help [to] better drain rainwater in surrounding areas," she said. "The Xuyen Tam Canal will also become a key connecting channel with other transportation systems in the city."
Xuyen Tam Canal connects Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal in Binh Thanh District and Vam Thuan River in Go Vap District. The canal is 8.2 kilometres long, consisting of a 6.21-kilometre main section and three branches with a total length of 1.9 kilometres.
People who live by the canal often discharge rubbish and wastewater directly into the canal, worsening the canal’s pollution. It also has not been dredged for many years.