Tan Thuan sluice may affect city ports
By Van Nam - The Saigon Times Daily
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| The HCMC Port Authority is concerned the Tan Thuan tidal sluice will seriously affect the city ports’ operations - Photo: Van Nam |
HCMC – The construction of Tan Thuan tidal sluice will affect five major ports in the city, said HCMC Port Authority in a statement sent to the Steering Committee for the Urban Flood Control Program.
HCMC government in December assigned the flood control committee to survey the development of the VND1 trillion Tan Thuan tidal sluice project in districts 4 and 7.
The sluice is part of the city’s irrigation and flood control planning approved by the Government in 2008, including the dike system along the Saigon River and 12 tidal sluices on the rivers and channels intersecting with the Saigon River.
According to HCMC Port Authority, Tan Thuan tidal sluice will be built at Kenh Te confluence, adjacent to the main turnaround spot for large vessels moving out and into Khanh Hoi, Tan Thuan, Ben Nghe, Tan Thuan East and VICT ports.
Ships usually turn around during high tide, coinciding with the time when the water transport lock of the sluice is activated. Therefore, the ships moving from the berths to the lock will cross the turnaround spot, which will seriously hinder ship maneuvers and adversely impact marine safety.
The port authority further demonstrated that the Kenh Te-Saigon River area is influenced by a large tidal current. Under the impact of the Saigon River water flow, it is difficult to maneuver vessels from the Saigon River to Kenh Te confluence and vice versa, especially for the towage teams, with the ships frequently washed ashore.
Tan Thuan tidal sluice with its water transport lock stretching 15 meters will narrow down the free area of the channel to 50 meters, causing huge risks of vehicles bumping into the sluice.