A sewer discharge household wastewater into Kim Nguu River. Photo by Kinh Te Do Thi
Under a request from the Vietnam Association for Urban Planning and Development, the consultancy agency R&D Planners Company has just proposed a plan to improve water quality in a 1.2-km section from Lo Duc-Tran Khat Tran Junction to the Mai Dong Bridge.
In their plan, R&D Planners Company suggested building a system of underground sewers under the riverbed to collect all wastewater of households living along the river. Meanwhile, the surface water of the river would be rainwater as well as water treated from Yen So Pump Station nearby.
At the same time, areas of the river’s two sides would be re-built, creating a public space for local residents.
The suggestion which was revealed at a recent seminar held in Hanoi had received support from scientists and experts.
Luu Duc Hai, president of the Institute for Urban Studies and Infrastructure Development, said he applauded the suggestion.
“It’s suitable for both improving the river water’s quality and creating a public space for local residents by beautifying the river’s landscape,” Hai said.
However, if the People’s Committee of the city approved the suggestion, investors should not be allowed to build too many service centres along the river, he added.
Agreeing with Hai, Nguyen Truc Anh, president of the Hanoi Urban Planning Institute, also deemed the option viable.
Making the river’s water clean and creating a public space was a deep concern of not only the Hanoi administration but also scientists and local residents for a very long time, he said.
The Kim Nguu River, with a total length of about 7.7km, starting from the end of Lo Duc Street, running along Nguyen Tam Trinh Street and finishing at the end of the street, has become a dead river for a decade due to a large amount of untreated wastewater discharged from the densely populated area.
Statistics showed that every kilometre of the river has seven sewers discharging household wastewater into the river, which has caused suffering for thousands of residents living nearby or along the river, due to the foul smell.
Tran Ngoc Chinh, president of the Vietnam Association for Urban Planning and Development, also said the public-private partnership model or calling for investment from the private sector were the best ways to implement the project.