HCMC – A VND38.5-trillion project has been proposed to address environmental pollution and modernize the Bac Hung Hai irrigation system in the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said on February 26.
The ministry plans to submit the project to the Government for urgent classification and approval, Minister Tran Duc Thang told a conference attended by leaders from Hanoi, Haiphong, Hung Yen, and Bac Ninh. Authorities aim to begin construction simultaneously on April 30 and complete the project in less than two years. The project will combine public investment and public-private partnership (PPP) funding.
Nguyen Hoang Hiep, deputy minister of Agriculture and Environment, said the irrigation system faces water shortages during dry seasons, increased drainage pressure during floods, and severe water pollution due to urbanization, industrialization, and climate change.
The ministry proposed three main solution groups: upgrading and modernizing 13 major irrigation structures and 18 primary canal systems, installing automatic monitoring systems, and building wastewater treatment facilities at 18 canal entry points to control pollution and improve water quality.
The project also includes infrastructure improvements and land development linked to urban and service expansion, with around 2,150 hectares expected to be created.
The ministry estimates VND11.14 trillion will be allocated to pollution control and water quality management. It plans to provide about VND6 trillion, with the remainder funded by Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, and Haiphong.
Nguyen Duy Ngoc, secretary of the Party Committee of Hanoi City, said local authorities agreed on the urgency of addressing pollution in the irrigation system after four years of research and assessment. He called for synchronized implementation across the entire network, with unified technical standards and the application of technology and digital management.
Ngoc also said the section passing through Hanoi, which stretches more than 19 kilometers, will be developed with synchronized infrastructure and urban planning along both sides of the canal.
The Bac Hung Hai irrigation system supplies water to 116,665 hectares of farmland and provides drainage for nearly 199,000 hectares of agricultural, industrial, and urban land, according to the ministry.
