Contrasting scenes of temporary houses patched up along the canals of Ho Chi Minh City
Báo Tiền Phong•07/04/2024
Tens of thousands of slum houses along canals in Ho Chi Minh City cause urban unsightliness and pose a potential fire risk. Surrounded by high-rise buildings and bustling urban areas.
Along the Doi Canal in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City, there are about 10,000 riverside houses that must be relocated.
Most of the houses here are temporarily built with wooden panels and corrugated iron, lying close together, encroaching on canals and ditches.
Similar is the 'slum' area along Xuyen Tam canal from Binh Thanh district to Go Vap district.
Image of Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien Metro line running through the "slum" area of Van Thanh canal. Surrounding it are high-rise buildings and bustling urban areas.
In District 4 (HCMC), along Te Canal, there are also many rows of 'slum' houses encroaching on the canal.
Many houses encroach on the flow and build extensions, causing the canal to be surrounded by garbage and all kinds of waste.
Being here, many people easily feel the cramped, damp space, with a foul smell everywhere.
Being here, many people easily feel the cramped, damp space, with a foul smell everywhere.
According to the Department of Construction, the city has five main canals with a total length of more than 105km within the inner city, providing drainage for an area of 14,200ha. However, this system is increasingly narrowing and polluted.
Since 1993, Ho Chi Minh City has been relocating houses along and on canals to improve the environment and beautify the urban area, but the relocation process is still very slow.
In the period from 1993 to 2020, Ho Chi Minh City has only relocated more than 38,185 out of a total of more than 65,000 houses that need to be relocated; in the period from 2021 to 2025, Ho Chi Minh City has only relocated 2,867 houses out of a total target of 6,500 houses. The reason is that compensation and site clearance work has encountered many difficulties such as: people do not have enough housing conditions or resettlement land for small houses, large population; houses through many periods but the people living there are grandchildren and do not have papers, when resettlement is resolved, it is not known who to give them to.
A row of houses in alley 124 Pham The Hien street, located close to the canal, caught fire on the evening of April 1, and lasted nearly 2 hours before being brought under control. According to statistics from the authorities, the fire did not cause any human casualties but burned a total area of about 470 square meters. Of which, 2 houses were completely burned and 6 surrounding houses were affected.
Mr. Pham Quang Tu - Vice Chairman of District 8 People's Committee, the area where the fire occurred is in the area awaiting relocation under the project to renovate and beautify the southern bank of Doi Canal. The entire district has over 10,000 houses along canals and ditches that are subject to relocation to implement urban renovation and beautification projects.
Not only District 8, in Ho Chi Minh City there are many "slum" areas that need to be relocated and cleared such as Van Thanh canal (Binh Thanh district), Xuyen Tam canal (Binh Thanh and Go Vap districts), Te canal (District 4 and District 7)...
Original link: https://vietnamnet.vn/hinh-anh-hang-chuc-nghin-can-nha-tam-va-chang-va-dup-ven-kenh-o-tp-hcm-2266847.html
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