(PLO)- Decades ago, when referring to Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City, people immediately thought of a bustling river city.
The interlaced system of rivers and canals has created the unique identity of a southern river city. On many canals, the city’s canals were once a bustling trading place of merchants from all over the world, creating a scene on the wharf under the city’s own boat.
Ho Chi Minh City at that time along with the Saigon River were the Doi, Te, Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe canals, Xuyen Tam canal… used to be where people used water in the canals for daily activities such as bathing, washing vegetables…
However, the “whirlwind” of urbanization and limitations in state management in many periods have “killed” many of the city’s river and canal systems. From “green canals, smooth afternoons with water flowing” have become dead canals with garbage, the situation of environmental pollution is getting worse and worse. The situation of slums growing up along the canals makes the urban landscape become shabby and disheveled.
Since the 1990s and 2000s, the city government has had a policy to improve environmental sanitation and clean up the canal system. At that time, Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe canal, Xuyen Tam canal, U Cay canal, Tham Luong – Ben Cat canal – Nuoc Len canal, Tan Hoa – Lo Gom canal were in the “sight” of the embellishment.
Up to now, the city has relocated and cleared thousands of households living on and along the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe canal, completely eliminating slums. The appearance of this channel has been changed. In addition, Tan Hoa – Lo Gom canal has also been renovated, changing the face of urban areas in District 6, 11, Tan Phu; U Cay canal (ward 10, district 8) also cleared more than 1,000 shacks…
However, looking back at the whole process of 30 years with such achievements, it is still very modest. Many canal improvement projects combined with urban embellishment such as Xuyen Tam canal, Tham Luong – Ben Cat canal – Nuoc Len canal, despite having a policy from more than 20 years ago, but so far are still unfinished or just lying on paper.
Remember in the period 2015-2020, the Resolution of the 10th City Party Congress once included this content in one of the city’s seven breakthrough programs with many targets. In which, it is determined that by 2020, 20,000 houses will be relocated on and along the canals, but so far, after seven years, only about 10% have been implemented.
Most recently, at the eighth session, the X-term People’s Council of Ho Chi Minh City, term 2021-2026, had a resolution on investment policy in two projects of Xuyen Tam canal, Tham Luong canal – Ben Cat – Nuoc Len canal. That shows the determination of the city government in urban renovation and embellishment.
However, with two “super projects” involving a series of districts with the scale of clearing tens of thousands of hectares and thousands of households within the scope of the project, in addition to legal issues, the thorough preparation of the authorities, the capital source, it is necessary to have a high determination of the whole political system. Only then can the project be completed on time.
Currently, the amendment and completion of relevant legal provisions such as the Land Law, the Investment Law, etc., especially in the compensation, support, and resettlement policies, will make people more agreeable. In addition, from the completed project, there will be valuable experiences for the city at this time as well as in the next phases.
VIETNAM