Hanoi Considers Investing $888M in Dredging Polluted Rivers

Authorities in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi plans to invest a combined of VND20 trillion ($888 million) in dredging nine polluted rivers to give them vitality, the municipal government’s mouthpiece Hanoi Moi newspaper reported. The regenerating of the river will help smooth the water drainage systems of the city which is vulnerable to flooding due to overloaded infrastructure, the city’s Party Chief Hoang Trung Hai said at a meeting last weekend. He said that the city will solve contamination of seven reservoirs and develop 25 lakes more together with expanding parks to increase green area for the city of nearly 10 millions of population. We are aware of the importance of developing green area for the city and the value of public space which becomes narrowed recently, he noted. Architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem said at the event that he applauded the city’s plans to regenerate rivers and develop green area and noted the importance of developing public space in urban regions. Architect Nguyen Tan Van, head of Vietnam Architecture Association, said that the local government should issue policies encouraging the participation of the private sector in green growth projects, especially river dredging ones, in the context that Hanoi is facing consequences caused by overloaded infrastructure. Following the rapid urbanization, Hanoi has filled many small rivers in the inner city to have land for real estate projects, partly causing serious inundation while it has poisoned many other rivers due to lack of wastewater treatment systems and bad habit of local residents. (Hanoi Moi – New Hanoi June 13)