To date, Ho Chi Minh City has compensated and relocated 1,149 homes along rivers and canals. The Department of Construction has proposed three additional projects to expedite the relocation process.

Speaking about the relocation and clearance of homes along canals during a press conference on October 24, Ly Thanh Long, Chief of Office at the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, stated that the city has so far compensated and relocated 1,149 homes out of a total of 6,500 planned for the 2021-2025 period.

Under the current capital allocation plan, the city aims to compensate and relocate 5,102 homes by the end of 2025, with a focus on the Xuyen Tam Canal project, involving 2,215 homes.

However, the city's budget currently prioritizes ongoing projects and a few critical, urgent projects. It limits capital allocation for projects without cleared land or those facing significant compensation challenges, which could affect the progress and completion within the 2021-2025 period.

The Department of Construction has proposed that the city's People’s Committee instruct the Department of Planning and Investment to consider and allocate funds for the preparation, compensation, and site clearance for three projects not yet included in the 2021-2025 medium-term public investment plan.

These projects are the renovation of the Hy Vong Canal (Tan Binh District), the dredging and improvement of the Van Thanh Canal (Binh Thanh District), and the infrastructure and environmental improvement of the Kenh Te Canal (District 4).

“If the city government approves adding these three projects to the medium-term public investment plan and allocates funds for compensation and site clearance, it would increase the total number of relocated homes along rivers, canals, and waterways to 6,906 during the 2021-2025 period,” Long added.

Bach Duong