Dong Thap Studies Plan to Transfer Freshwater via Cho Gao Canal to Supply Go Cong Area
(DTO) On the afternoon of November 5, Dong Thap Provincial People’s Committee Vice Chairmen Nguyen Phuoc Thien and Le Ha Luan co-chaired a meeting with the task force overseeing investment preparation and implementation of the Freshwater Transfer via Cho Gao Canal Project to supply the Go Cong Freshened Region. The meeting was connected online with communes and wards along the project route.
According to the investment policy proposal submitted by the Dong Thap Provincial Agricultural and Rural Development Construction Investment Project Management Board, the project is estimated to cost VND2.562 trillion, funded by the central and local budgets and other lawful sources. Implementation is scheduled for the 2026–2028 period.
Major project components include dredging the source water-supply canal system, constructing riverbank embankments, building a siphon system to divert freshwater beneath Cho Gao Canal, dredging water-transfer canals in the Go Cong area and investing in two pumping stations.
The project aims to proactively transfer freshwater from the upper reaches of the Tien River to the Go Cong Freshened Region to serve agricultural production, daily needs and industrial development. Once completed, it is expected to supply water to approximately 44,000 hectares of agricultural land and around 500,000 residents, as well as industrial parks and clusters, urban areas, service facilities and the Go Cong Coastal Economic Zone.
The project is expected to help ensure water security, reduce losses caused by drought and saltwater intrusion, and promote socio-economic development in the eastern part of the province.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Phuoc Thien asked the task force and relevant agencies to study and calculate an appropriate investment plan based on actual demand, ensuring efficiency and alignment with the area’s long-term development orientations.
As an immediate priority, he called for investment in the siphon system to transfer freshwater beneath Cho Gao Canal, meeting water needs for daily use and production during the dry season, drought, and saltwater intrusion. Dredging, renovation and upgrading of the water-supply canal system should be considered based on demand and the availability of funding.
Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien stressed that the feasibility study must carefully assess technical options, project scale, capacity and total investment, selecting suitable solutions while avoiding scattered investment and waste. The project must also include appropriate plans for water storage, regulation and system operation to ensure supplies for the Go Cong Freshened Region both in the immediate future and over the long term.
By H. THONG
Translated by X.QUANG
