Polluted canal along Ho Chi Minh City metro line brought back to life

After nearly a year of restoration, the once-polluted Da Do Canal alongside Metro Line 1 has been transformed, improving drainage and enhancing the urban landscape. Most of the canal has now been dredged, with 1.5 km of embankments and retaining walls already completed. Construction crews are installing drainage pipes while finishing the remaining retaining walls and embankments along both sides of the waterway. Simultaneously, contractors are building sidewalks and landscaping the surrounding area. Near Den Bridge, workers are finishing the final embankment sections. To ensure the project remains on schedule, a crew of approximately 80 people is operating from dusk till dawn. The final 300-meter stretch where the canal flows into the Saigon River will be completed last before water is fully released through the restored channel. Once restoration is complete, trees, walking paths, and lighting systems will be installed throughout the area. The project is expected not only to improve flood prevention and environmental conditions but also to create a new scenic landmark at the eastern gateway to Ho Chi Minh City. Vo Thi Y, a local resident, said the canal was once filled with stagnant black water. "I hope the project will be completed soon so the environment becomes cleaner and more beautiful," she said. An aerial view of the restored Da Do Canal.