According to the Ministry of Public Security, approximately 2,805 construction works and projects in Hanoi are either delayed or left unused. Hundreds of projects are still stalled due to various obstacles.
Two resettlement apartment buildings on Khuyen Luong Street in Hoang Mai District have been left unused for years and are showing signs of deterioration. Each apartment building has 15 floors and is located by Belt Road 3 without accompanying amenities.
A foul-smelling, dark drainage canal runs along the front of the buildings.
Many parts of the surroundings are deteriorating, with the entrance to the basement covered with rusted metal sheets.
The Tran Phu resettlement area in Hoang Mai District has also been idle for years. Part of the project has been turned into an informal storage site for construction materials. The project, which cost VND760 billion and was completed in 2018, included four apartment blocks with 9 and 15-floor floors.
One of the basement entrances serves as a dumping ground for rubbish, emitting a foul odour.
Several of the building’s windows have been damaged.
The resettlement area for Hanoi Old Quarter residents in Long Bien District faces a similar fate. Comprising five buildings along Ly Son Street and designed to accommodate 5,000 households, the site has seen only a few families relocated.
Lots of facilities in the area have significantly degraded.
National Assembly deputy Pham Van Hoa from Dong Thap Province said that wastefulness of public assets is happening across the country, involving government vehicles, public offices, spending, land, social housing, and resettlement projects. “We must take a comprehensive approach to identify and implement optimal solutions. Minor violations should be met with administrative penalties, while serious breaches must be subject to criminal prosecution,” he proposed.
To tackle the problem of abandoned resettlement areas in Hanoi, Hoa noted the importance of close co-ordination between central and local authorities and strong leadership to swiftly overcome existing hurdles and bring these projects to effective use.
