With the deadline approaching, many Vinh City sub-urban projects are still struggling with land clearance.

(Baonghean) - The Vinh urban sub-project is nearing its completion deadline, but many items remain unfinished. Several land clearance packages are incomplete, while the requirement is to resolve them definitively before this year's rainy season.

Many local obstacles

During a recent meeting with the Provincial People's Committee, Ms. Phan Thi Phuong Huyen, an urban economics expert and head of the World Bank (WB) delegation, presented reports and recommendations to the Provincial People's Committee regarding the Vinh Urban Sub-project. She expressed concern about the slow progress in land clearance, the lack of a suitable work site for contractors, and the fact that June 30, 2017, was the deadline for Vinh City, Nghe An Province, to complete the project. She also noted that the rainy season was approaching, and failure to complete the work promptly would hinder construction, as most projects involve lakes, ponds, ditches, and canals.

Land clearance for the components of the Vinh urban development project has been accelerated but is still lagging behind schedule. Photo: Nguyen Son

Currently, along the route, the construction package for the regulating reservoir is being undertaken by the Hoa Hiep - Thanh Cong joint venture. According to the contract, signed on October 16, 2015, the completion date was September 30, 2017. To date, with the contract nearing its end, 0.4 hectares in Hung Loc commune are still undergoing compensation and land clearance planning, expected to be completed in June 2017. Additionally, 3.5 hectares in Hung Loc commune (7 households) have had their compensation and land clearance plans approved, but the households have not yet accepted them and are requesting compensation, also expected to be completed in June 2017.

Regarding construction progress, the estimated volume of work completed is 65%, while approximately 82% of the planned time has been spent, including preparation time. The contractor has dredged 1033/497,118 m3 (21%) of the lakebed, completed 80% of the lake embankment construction and excavation; and completed 77% of the embankment wall construction. The management road, branch roads, interchanges, manholes, outlets, and various types of earthworks are currently under construction. Therefore, this contract package is not yet complete.

The contract for upgrading and renovating the canal surrounding Vinh Citadel was awarded to the Hoa Hiep - Thinh Hung Joint Venture, signed on January 27, 2016, with a completion deadline of August 10, 2017. By the end of May, 22 out of 195 households had not yet been cleared; the City People's Committee and relevant units are currently addressing this issue, and according to Mr. Ha Thanh Tinh, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee, the land clearance is expected to be completed by June 2017. Mr. Tran Van Tri, Chairman of the Cua Nam Ward People's Committee, added: The ward has two cases that have not yet been cleared; the ward and city are processing the necessary paperwork to forcibly evict Mr. Tran Trong Vinh in Block 3 due to his refusal to hand over the land, while efforts are continuing to persuade Ms. Vo Thi Hoan.

In this project, only 45% of the construction work has been completed, while approximately 80% of the time has already been allocated. This is a significant challenge, as the renovation and upgrading of the Vinh ancient moat will be indefinitely delayed if it is not completed before this year's rainy season. According to Mr. Pham Dinh Hanh, a representative of the construction contractor, the renovation and upgrading of the Vinh ancient moat is extremely complex. Despite careful efforts, some households not subject to relocation have experienced cracks in their houses, making damage assessment and compensation difficult. Some households have not yet been relocated, leaving machinery idle.

In package VH3-01, the construction of the Hung Tay - Vinh road (section from Km0+0.00 to Km2+800, including the bridge over the Ke Gai River) was scheduled for completion on July 3, 2017. However, four households remain unresolved due to their request for land use right certificates. In Nam Phuc Long hamlet, 57 out of 71 households have not yet received compensation; the reason is the requirement to complete the on-site resettlement area (expected to be completed in June 2017). The estimated construction volume for this package is 55%, while approximately 86% of the planned time has been completed. For the Hung Tay - Vinh road construction package (section from Km2+800 to Km4+620), the winning bidder is Tan Nam Construction Joint Stock Company, with a contract completion date of June 11, 2017.

Regarding residential land, the compensation and land clearance plan has been approved for all 182 affected households; 179 households have received compensation and completed land clearance; 2 households have not yet accepted the money, and 2 households have received the money but have not yet completed land clearance. Currently, the City People's Committee is processing these cases and expects to complete compensation and land clearance in June 2017. Construction work has only reached 65%, while approximately 91% of the time has been spent, including preparation time.

Similarly, the Hung Tay - Vinh road construction project (section from km4+620 to km6+224.34) is currently facing obstacles due to several businesses refusing to relocate, such as Kim Lien Co., Ltd. (the compensation plan has been approved but not yet accepted)...

The bridge project across the Ke Gai River connecting Vinh City with Hung Nguyen District is behind schedule due to unresolved land clearance issues in Nam Phuc Long hamlet, Hung Tay commune, Hung Nguyen district. Photo: Nguyen Son

Ms. Phan Thi Phuong Huyen, an urban planning expert and head of the World Bank's working group, who has been involved with Nghe An province for many years on this project, analyzed the objective and subjective reasons for its early completion and proposed solutions.

The reasons for the project's delay were analyzed at the meeting, revealing that besides the sometimes low level of awareness among residents and businesses subject to relocation, which hindered the project, there were also subjective reasons related to the leadership and management of both localities, Vinh City and Hung Nguyen District. Some residents' requests were slow to be addressed and resolved, along with delays in the resettlement area's construction, causing residents to wait, and the local leaders' monitoring, inspection, and on-site presence were not consistent enough.

The World Bank delegation recommended that Vinh province and city immediately remove obstacles for the project contractor, and also provide more decisive direction to complete land clearance work to ensure the project's progress, avoid wasting capital, and prevent missed opportunities for other projects.

Ensuring the quality and aesthetics of the construction project.

The Vinh urban sub-project also failed to leave a strong impression in terms of architecture and aesthetics. This can be attributed to the initial design and approval process. Despite its large and spacious area, the architecture of the buildings is mostly rudimentary, focusing on durability and practicality. Therefore, the World Bank paid close attention to the quality of the construction.

The World Bank delegation also pointed out several shortcomings on the construction site, such as the unsanitary conditions in some areas and the lack of attention to protecting completed items from damage. Although the first section of the North Canal has been undergrounded to create a road, regulations prohibit car traffic to prevent damage to the canal surface, but currently, there is excessive car traffic. Some projects showed concerns about their progress, such as the 72-meter road through Hung Tay (the responsibility of the Hung Nguyen District People's Committee) and in Nghi Duc, Vinh City, which are still slow to be resolved. The World Bank also requested the Vinh City Project Management Board to mobilize consultants to assess the project implementation status and prepare a project summary report.

Our observations also show that on many construction sites, household and construction waste is quite scattered, and in many places there are no warning signs about the dangers. Some projects are left unfinished for extended periods, causing inconvenience to local residents.

According to Comrade Huynh Thanh Dien - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, the Vinh Urban Sub-project is an important project for Vinh City and the province. In recent times, both the province and the city have been actively involved in accelerating progress and resolving obstacles. Relevant levels and sectors of Vinh City have been closely involved on-site, and at times, land clearance work has been very effective and successful. More than 200 households in Hung Dong commune have simultaneously relinquished their land and gardens to relocate to other areas to make way for the project.

However, there are still sensitive and localized areas on the site that the province and city are working to resolve. If Vinh City and Hung Nguyen District do not take advantage of favorable weather conditions and strengthen their leadership and on-site presence regularly and continuously, the project will fall behind schedule as committed to the World Bank.

Pearl