Authorities deny filling in West Lake for real estate

Hanoi's Tay Ho District authorities have denied rumours that the West Lake is being filled in to build hotels and said they were dredging up over 30,000 cubic metres of mud and waste to prevent pollution.

Hanoi's Tay Ho District authorities have denied rumours that the West Lake is being filled in to build hotels and said they were dredging up over 30,000 cubic metres of mud and waste to prevent pollution.

  

Hanoi dredges mud from the West Lake.

Last week, the photos showing an excavator by the West Lake, on Nguyen Dinh Thi Street, appeared on the internet and there are rumours that the lake was being filled to build houses and hotels.

Tay Ho District People's Committee denied the rumours and said that it was actually a dredging project. The West Lake Management Board was asked in 2016 to dredge 110,000 cubic metres of mud from 13.09 hectares of the West Lake. However, as Hanoi People's Committee issued an order about using new environmental treatment technology in the work, the plan was halted.

After the floating houses and boats along Nguyen Dinh Thi Street were relocated, there was a huge amount of mud, waste, bushes and duckweed left behind on the site. Hanoi’s authorities agreed to dredge 30,000 cubic metres of mud from four hectares. This project to improve Nguyen Dinh Thi Street’s environment alone costs VND5bn (USD220,000).

The work was started two weeks ago and is estimated to be done by September. A two-metre high fence has been set up and two excavators worked inside.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, deputy head of the West Lake Management Board said they filled 200 square metres of the lake to make it easier for the vehicles and to temporarily dump the newly-dredged mud. After the dredging is completed, they'll restore the lake.