Along both banks of Doi Canal in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City stand thousands of makeshift houses that await relocation.

Over 1,500 households on the north bank of the canal are scheduled to be resettled, according to the District 8 People’s Committee.

The municipal People’s Council has passed a plan to dredge the northern bank of the waterway, build infrastructure, and improve the environment in the area, meaning more than 1,500 houses situated along it will need to be relocated.

Currently, thousands of households sit along both north and south banks of the canal, many of them encroaching on the waterway and dozens appearing as if they are on the brink of collapse.

Mai Thi Tuong, who lives along the canal, said that delays in the plan have caused uncertainty for families like hers for many years.

“I hope that the plan will come to fruition so that my family and others can stabilize their lives. The projected relocation has deterred us from repairing or rebuilding our houses,” Tuong said.

Nearly 6,630 households along the canal will be affected by the infrastructure construction and dredging project, said Nguyen Thanh Nam, deputy head of the District 8 management board for site clearance and compensation.

The People’s Committee of District 8 is mapping out a detailed plan to compensate and resettle the 1,571 affected houses on the north bank of the canal.

The compensation and land reclamation processes are slated for completion prior to April 30, 2025.

“A project to revamp the south bank of the canal has yet to be approved, but the District 8 People’s Committee will work with the municipal administration to get approval to begin it.” 

The renovation of the north bank of Doi Canal is projected to carry a price tag of VND4.93 trillion (US$203.5 million) and work on the project is expected to last until 2030.

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