Xuyen Tam Canal connects Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal in Binh Thanh District and Vam Thuan River in Go Vap District.
Xuyen Tam Canal is 8.2 kilometres long, consisting of a 6.21-km main section and three branches with a total length of 1.9 kilometres.
Temporary houses run along the canal. Many households have been living by the canal for dozens of years.
People who live by the canal discharge rubbish and wastewater directly into the canal, worsening the canal’s pollution. It also has not been dredged for many years.
A local resident said that her family has to face a bad smell from the canal every day. The pollution is worsening.
The canal bed is full of litter after the flood tides retreat.
The canal has also narrowed because of houses encroaching on the waterway.
Piles of rubbish by the canal
Chairman of HCM City’s People Committee, Phan Van Mai, has agreed in principle to form a task force to study and prepare the canal project.
Last year, the city sought government approval to invest VND9.35 trillion into the canal’s upgrading.
