New mekong embankments to finish in 2013

Each year the government invests a huge amount of money to shore up the Mekong riverbank in Vientiane, which is slowly being eroded.


Now the government has entered into an agreement with the Khamphay Sana Group Construction Company under which the company will invest more than three billion kip to build an embankment along the Mekong River in Vatsop village, Sisattanak district.

According to the Vientiane Public Works and Transport Department (VPWTD) the government will repay the money to the company when the work is finished, but cannot specify a timeframe.

The company started the project in February and is building a section of embankment that is 110 metres long. The job is set for completion in April.

The objective of the project is to prevent erosion of the riverbank and widen the road that runs alongside it.

The government is also contributing to the construction of an embankment that runs from Dankham village in Sikhottabong district to the Australian Embassy Recreational Club in Sisattanak district.

The total cost of this project is 400 billion kip (US$49 million). Of this, 300 billion kip (US$37 million) comes from a low interest loan from the Republic of Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund and the remainder is being funded by the Lao government. The project is set for completion in 2013.

The embankment will pass through 23 villages in Sikhottabong, Chanthabouly and Sisattanak districts.

The project includes construction of a flood control embankment and a road alongside the Mekong River, as well as the construction of a riverside park and landscaping.

The Mekong riverbank is eroding at a rate of about two to three metres per year, and many households have suffered as a result, according to the Vientiane Public Works and Transport Department.



By Meuangkham Noradeth
Vientianetimes

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