HANOI (Agencies): Vietnam's southern hub Ho Chi Minh City has proposed investing more than 9.2 trillion Vietnamese dong (US$350mil) to dredge and upgrade the Ba Lon Canal, a key drainage route, aimed at tackling chronic flooding and pollution, the Voice of Vietnam reported Sunday.
The total investment includes more than 6.6 trillion Vietnamese dong for land clearance and resettlement, about 2 trillion Vietnamese dong for construction, and the remainder for consulting, management, and contingency costs.
The project is expected to be completed by 2030. The 7.4-kilometer canal will be fully dredged and reinforced with nearly 10 kilometers of embankments, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
Last week, Typhoon Kalmaegi churned across Vietnam, claiming five more lives after its devastating passage through the Philippines.
The typhoon made landfall in central Vietnam late on Thursday, uprooting trees, damaging homes, and triggering power outages, before weakening as it moved inland.
Authorities had warned of more heavy rainfall of up to 200 millimetres (8 inches) in central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri, and said rising river levels from Hue to Dak Lak could trigger flooding and landslides.
The typhoon left a trail of destruction along the coast, toppling trees, scattering shattered glass and roofing sheets, with residents gathering around generators to recharge their phones.
There were damage to approximately 2,800 homes. Power outages affected about 1.3 million people, it said.
The government mobilised over 268,000 soldiers for search-and-rescue operations and issued warnings about potential flooding that could impact agriculture in the Central Highlands, Vietnam's main coffee-growing region. Traders said on Friday that the rain had subsided and coffee trees remained unharmed. - Agencies
