The nine-year-long cleanup of the polluted Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal in HCM City is set to be completed in the next four months, with wastewater no longer flowing into it and its banks turning green.
Once the work is completed in December, the wastewater and rain water in the basin would be collected at a pumping station, treated, and released into the Sai Gon River through a system of pumps.
In a later phase, the wastewater will be treated at the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe wastewater treatment plant in District 2.
With a culvert system of around 132,000m installed in the basin, the project is expected to reduce flooding in Districts 1, 3, 10, Phu Nhuan, Tan Binh, Binh Thanh, and Go Vap.
By September 2,649m more of culverts are expected to be built.
Truong Sa and Hoang Sa roads that run along the canal have been expanded, fencing completed, saplings planted, and wide pavements laid.
Similar works are being done on several roads running along the canal.
According to the project management board, the fencing and lighting work and tree planting will be completed by December.
Houses that had been illegally built along the canal banks in many places have been removed to make way for the pavements and trees.
The project began in 2002 and has cost US$316 million, which has been borrowed from the World Bank. It is expected to act as a template for cleaning up other polluted canals around the city.
