Brian Jeffrey
The contrast is stark. On one side stand modern, luxurious high-rises; on the other, makeshift shanties perched precariously over a canal filled with refuse.
The Van Thanh Canal, which spans 1.5 km from Dien Bien Phu Bridge to its confluence with the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal, traverses wards 19, 21, and 22 of Binh Thanh District. Initially crucial for drainage and flood prevention, the canal now grapples with significant pollution caused by sediment build-up and encroachment.
Individuals residing along the canal endure wretched living conditions. Mountains of waste, including Styrofoam containers, plastic bags, and assorted discarded items, create thick blankets atop the water. The noxious odor is pervasive, with sizable rats darting along decaying wooden supports underpinning the residences.
Recalling a time when the canal’s waters were pristine and drew tourists, 76-year-old resident Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hang now navigates life amidst squalor, with her makeshift abode in a perpetual state of repair. “We’ve grown accustomed to it, but the smell is intolerable for visitors,” she remarks.
Residing with more than ten family members in a makeshift dwelling, Mrs. Hang’s family mend the structure wherever it falters, aware of impending renovation and relocation initiatives.
A stone’s throw away, 51-year-old Pham Hoang Tien employs a small boat to clear the blockages impeding drainage near his residence. He paints a grim picture of the canal: “During high tide, it’s bearable, but the reek from the dark, murky water becomes insufferable during low tide.”
Many residents yearn for equitable compensation to flee these makeshift housing conditions.
Facing administrative hurdles in addressing essential repairs to their crumbling dwellings due to impending relocation schemes, individuals like 59-year-old Nguyen Thi Thuy dream of fair recompense to exit their transitory environments. Thuy gestures towards the mounting piles of garbage behind her home, bemoaning the unceasing struggle to maintain cleanliness.
Mrs. Thuy highlights an individual who rows a boat daily to retrieve scrap along the Van Thanh canal, stating, “I must put on boots to wade in and shove the trash aside because if left uncleared, it emits a foul stench. Some days, it becomes overwhelming, and I must seek aid from that elderly lady.”
In April, the overhaul of the Van Thanh Canal was incorporated into Ho Chi Minh City’s priority initiatives for the 2021-2025 period. The Department of Construction proposed an allocation of around 6.2 trillion VND (approximately $270 million) for the canal’s refurbishment, including plans to relocate 1,063 households by 2028.
