Nam Dan culvert expansion and upgrade project behind schedule and over budget

(Baonghean.vn) - The Nam Dan Sluice upgrade and expansion project started construction in April 2010. This is a key project, listed as an urgent project to overcome floods, but the project is behind schedule.

The project to upgrade and expand Nam Dan sluice and canal system, phase 1 - building a new Nam Dan sluice was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Decision No. 400/QD/BNN-XD dated February 22, 2010 with a total investment of VND 536,712 billion.

The project, once completed, will provide irrigation water for 20,000 hectares of downstream areas in 5 urban districts: Nam Dan, Hung Nguyen, Nghi Loc, Cua Lo Town, Vinh City. According to the plan, the project was put into use at the end of 2015 but is still not completed.

The water channel system from Nam Dan sluice has been completed.

Mr. Ha Ngoc Lan - Head of Economic and Infrastructure Development Department, Nam Dan District People's Committee said that to serve the project, the district has carried out land clearance, resettlement and handed over almost all the land to the construction units. Currently, the District People's Committee and the investor are looking for land to resettle the cemetery area on the right bank of the canal and the landfill.

Up to now, the construction unit has achieved over 98% of the allocated capital, and has completed: the headworks, the pumping station of station 1, the mechanical system, the traffic bridge across National Highway 46, and the power line serving operation and construction. However, the construction package of the management house and the downstream channel is still unfinished.

Construction manager in progress.

Mr. Cao Danh Phu - Deputy Director of Nam Irrigation Company said that during the implementation process, due to the documents having to be adjusted many times, the construction on complex geology... the important package of the downstream canal was behind schedule, affecting the project (expected to be completed on July 30, 2015).

“To facilitate the investor to direct contractors to complete the project on schedule and put it into production soon, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Construction Management, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development need to pay attention and promptly arrange capital. After receiving the money, we will focus on completing the canal banks, high-pressure lamps... according to the approved design documents.” – Mr. Cao Danh Phu – Deputy Director of Nam Irrigation Company said.

Hoa Hiep Company Limited constructs the canal.

The construction process did not foresee all the difficulties and complicated techniques, so adjustments had to be made. The site clearance work required an additional cemetery area in Xuan Hoa commune; the waste dump required 5 hectares of large reserves, so the project's capital increased by 120 billion VND. While waiting for the total investment to be approved, the Provincial People's Committee directed the canal to be cleared first.

To focus on accelerating the progress and soon promoting the effectiveness of the project, relevant levels and sectors need to coordinate to synchronously and drastically implement the project, first of all, do a good job of site clearance; need to complete the documents and adjust the total investment; focus on quickly implementing the canal clearance package to meet the schedule to complete before the flood season...

Viet Phuong