Vietnam's southern hub Ho Chi Minh City has proposed investing more than 9.2 trillion Vietnamese dong (about 349.81 million U.S. dollars) to dredge and upgrade the Ba Lon Canal, a key drainage route, aimed at tackling chronic flooding and pollution, the Voice of Vietnam reported Sunday.

The total investment includes more than 6.6 trillion Vietnamese dong for land clearance and resettlement, about 2 trillion Vietnamese dong for construction, and the remainder for consulting, management, and contingency costs.

The project is expected to be completed by 2030. The 7.4-kilometer canal will be fully dredged and reinforced with nearly 10 kilometers of embankments, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

(Source: XinHua)