Environmental protection is needed in the construction of the project to upgrade and repair Nguyen Chi Thanh Street.

Construction on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street is temporarily suspended, with sidewalks and drainage ditches dug up in disarray. *Photo: Van Tam*

On December 2, 2022, the Provincial People's Committee approved the technical and economic report on the construction investment project: Upgrading and repairing drainage ditches and sidewalks on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street. The project is over 1.4km long (including 1 main route and 3 branch routes), the starting point of the route intersects with Tran Dang Ninh Street, the end point of the route intersects with Hoang Van Thai Street. The project has a total investment of 14.9 billion VND, from the local budget balance, with Dien Bien Phu City People's Committee as the investor; the joint venture of Vinh Phuc Company - Thuat Tuong Nguyen is the contractor; the project implementation and completion time is 2022 - 2024.

To speed up the project's construction progress and strive to complete it before the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 2024), in mid-September 2023, the contractor mobilized machinery and human resources to implement project items, such as: digging sidewalks, drainage systems, cutting trees and gathering materials on both sides of the road. However, while construction was underway, the enterprise stopped, causing the construction site to be littered with materials, excavated rocks and soil, combined with traffic, causing dust along the road; it was dirty on rainy days.

It has been more than a month since the company stopped construction, and the project has not yet been resumed. In the meantime, the lives of many households living along Nguyen Chi Thanh Street continue to be affected. People's travel is also difficult and there is a potential risk of accidents.

Mr. NVH, the owner of a house on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, said: “We, the people, are very supportive of the upgrading and repair of the road and sidewalks, but the construction process must have measures to ensure traffic safety and ensure no environmental pollution. We hope that the authorities will soon take measures to speed up the construction progress and ensure that the construction is neat and clean.”

In particular, the temporary suspension of construction has significantly affected the business and trading of shops on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street. According to statistics, most of this street is concentrated with households selling food, clothes, groceries, etc. Ms. NTV, the owner of a breakfast shop on this street, said: "Since the company dug up the sidewalk and drainage ditch and then temporarily stopped construction, it has significantly affected the business. Because the road is littered with materials, dusty in the sun and dirty in the rain, the number of customers has decreased compared to before the road was built. To ensure no environmental pollution, we regularly water the road surface to moisten it; on the sidewalk, we buy tarps to cover the ground to keep the walkway clean to reduce dust in the sun and muddy in the rain."

Mr. Pham Duc Lam, Deputy Director of the Project Management Board of Dien Bien Phu City, said: Up to now, the contractors have demolished 650m of sidewalk; constructed and installed 200m of sidewalk; poured concrete pavement for 88m of sidewalk; and buried 400m of electricity and communication systems. The estimated completed volume is about 10.8%. Currently, the project is temporarily suspended due to the construction organization and implementation process, some long-term investment items have now degraded and do not ensure quality, such as: Drainage system along both sides of the sidewalk (according to the approved design, only dredge the ditch, re-plaster, and replace part of the damaged woven plate). Currently, the beginning and end of Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, the brick-built ditch was invested and built a long time ago, so it has been damaged, the ditch wall has collapsed, and the thin reinforced concrete woven plate is not guaranteed.

In addition, some items have not been invested synchronously, leading to difficulties in the exploitation and use process such as: Only the first-class wastewater drainage system has been invested; the second-class wastewater drainage system has not been fully invested and has not been connected to households (currently, many households have drainage systems behind their houses). The road surface has degraded, peeled, cracked, causing difficulties for people to travel. Meanwhile, the approved investment policy of the project does not include the investment scale of paving the road surface and widening the road according to the 7.5m plan.

To ensure the project is completed on schedule and to minimize inconveniences for people, especially the environment, on October 31, the People's Committee of Dien Bien Phu City submitted a document to the Provincial People's Committee requesting approval to adjust and supplement the project to Upgrade and repair drainage ditches and sidewalks on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street. Accordingly, a new drainage system will be built along the road, with a total length of 1.3km using circular sewers running under the road. Investing in reinforced concrete sewers will increase the quality of life and synchronization to avoid many repairs after investment. Add a wastewater collection system (connection) of households (level 2 network) to connect to the current wastewater drainage manhole. At the same time, add asphalt concrete, widen the main road from 6.9m to 7.5m according to the detailed plan; design road markings and signs. The proposed total investment is 24.1 billion VND and the adjusted total investment is raised to 39 billion VND.

According to Mr. Pham Duc Lam, the investor is currently waiting for the Provincial People's Committee to approve the additional adjustments; if approved, the project will be implemented soon, ensuring completion before the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory. While waiting for the Provincial People's Committee's approval of the additional adjustments, the Board requires contractors to temporarily level and gather materials neatly, in order to minimize the impact on people's lives.

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