Today, the plan to use Red River water to "revive" To Lich River was finalized.

Hanoi 's departments will work with the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention to agree on a solution to take water from the Red River to supplement the To Lich River.

On December 5, Hanoi's departments and branches will work with the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to discuss and propose the best and fastest technical solution to get water from the Red River to supplement the To Lich River. It is necessary to pay attention to the quality of the Red River water when bringing it into West Lake. Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Trong Tu, Head of the Vietnam River Network Management Board, said that "cleaning" the To Lich River is necessary and has long been the wish of the capital's people. According to Mr. Tu, bringing water from the Red River to West Lake is correct because it is impossible to use water from the West Lake to clean the To Lich River, because that will dry up the West Lake. However, how to bring water from the Red River to West Lake depends on the terrain conditions, from which appropriate pipeline and pump solutions can be found.

To Lich River flowing through Cau Giay district (Photo: Contributor).

In addition, Mr. Tu said that the authorities need to pay attention to the quality of the Red River water when bringing it into West Lake, otherwise it will affect the ecosystem and environment of the lake. Therefore, before taking water from the Red River, it is necessary to carefully assess the water quality to see if it needs to be treated or not. According to the representative of the People's Committee of Tay Ho district, West Lake does not have a source of water from the Red River but only has two discharge gates at Trich Sai Street and Xuan La Street (in Buoi Ward, Tay Ho District). According to this person, the plan to take water from the Red River through West Lake to clean the To Lich River is being developed by the authorities. This plan is feasible but requires technical factors because the current water level of the Red River is lower than the water level in West Lake. A sanitation movement will be launched. Secretary of the City Party Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai said that in recent days, relevant units have actively participated in finding ways to overcome the pollution of this river. The city must take drastic measures so that before the anniversary of September 2, 2025, the To Lich River will no longer be black and smelly like it is now and will become a poetic river, according to the Secretary of Hanoi. Along with adding water to the To Lich River, Ms. Hoai said the city will launch a sanitation movement in the 8 districts through which the river flows. Ms. Hoai said that the current state of both sides of the river is very dirty, making the environment even more polluted. When there is clean river water but people still litter, it is not thorough, the landscape environment is still polluted. The head of the Hanoi Party Committee requested that the districts where the To Lich River passes through need to collect garbage immediately. The Fatherland Front must also direct organizations and members to coordinate with the government to fundamentally solve the garbage situation, not to throw garbage outside. Regarding the work of adding water from West Lake to the To Lich River, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh said that the city leaders have decided to deploy an urgent project; The Department of Construction was assigned to preside over the work with departments, branches, project management boards and localities to speed up the project's progress. The Chairman of Hanoi set a deadline of 3 months for completing procedures and 6 months for constructing the water supply system from the Red River to West Lake to create a flow for the To Lich River. "In any circumstances and conditions, the project must be completed by September 2, 2025. During the implementation process, special attention must be paid to the plan to protect the ecological environment and the West Lake ecosystem," Mr. Thanh requested.

Regarding the issue of cleaning the To Lich River, according to Mr. Vo Nguyen Phong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Construction, the department has coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and related departments and districts to survey the location of the Red River water supply system for the To Lich River. The Hanoi Management Board of Investment Projects for Construction of Technical Infrastructure and Agriculture proposed the solution of drilling underground through the dike to build a pipeline to bring Red River water to West Lake. However, Mr. Phong said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development did not agree with this plan. Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/hom-nay-chot-phuong-an-lay-nuoc-song-hong-hoi-sinh-song-to-lich-20241204235505308.htm