Cambodia is about to break ground on the Funan-Techo Canal, with a grand ceremony to be held.

During a meeting with representatives of all 14 district authorities and the Phnom Penh Municipal Solidarity Command (Cambodia) on July 18, Phnom Penh Mayor Khuong Sreng confirmed details of the ceremony to mark the groundbreaking of the Funan-Techo Canal.

Excavators prepare an area in Cambodia for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Funan-Techo Canal on August 5.

Khmer Times Screenshot

Mr. Sreng announced that the districts of the Phnom Penh Municipal Government will celebrate the event in a spirit of unity. He added that all pagodas across Phnom Penh will participate.

The event will take place in Phnom Penh's Koh Pich district and will feature a concert and fireworks display to mark the groundbreaking ceremony for the Funan-Techo Canal.

According to a directive issued by Phnom Penh City Hall on July 17, all agencies and people nationwide are encouraged to beat gongs and drums at 9:09 a.m. on August 5, 2024 to mark the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Funan-Techo Canal.

Phnom Penh authorities also called on people to participate in the above ceremony, especially on social media platforms to spread news about the event.

Previously, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced on May 30 that the Funan-Techo Canal project would begin construction in August 2024. Mr. Hun Manet affirmed that the Funan-Techo Canal would be built on Cambodian territory to serve the interests of the Cambodian people, while most of the investment capital would also come from Cambodians.

According to the design, the Funan-Techo Canal is 180 km long from the Mekong River flowing through the Takeo area, passing through 4 provinces including Kandal, Takeo, Kampot and Kep, with about 1.6 million people living on both banks. This canal is 100 m wide upstream and 80 m downstream, with a depth of 5.4 m. The canal has 2 lanes for ships to safely avoid each other.

The Funan-Techo Canal Project will build three hydroelectric dams, 11 bridges, and a 208-kilometer-long waterfront walkway. Construction of the new waterway is estimated to cost $1.7 billion and take about four years to complete.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/campuchia-sap-dong-tho-kenh-dao-phu-nam-techo-se-to-chuc-le-hoanh-trang-185240719090007002.htm