Rehabilitation of five major streams in Sihanoukville now halfway

• 6 March 2020
• Local News
• 2905 Views

By early March and after three months’ rehabilitation work, 55. 96% of the five major streams in Sihanoukville had been recovered, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

The update was made following a visit to the progress of the rehabilitation work led by H.E Kem Borey, Under-Secretary of State for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, joined by the Senate delegation led by H.E Kong Sar Reach, Chairman of the 9th Senate Committee in Sihanoukville on 3 March 2020.

“The purpose of the rehabilitation of these important natural streams is to prevent flooding due to rainfall in vulnerable areas of the city, as well as to build the city drainage system in a clean and hygienic environment”, the Under-Secretary of State reported to the Senate delegation during the visit.

The recovery plan of the five major streams in Sihanoukville is costing around 10 billion Khmer riel and has been under construction since Monday 9 December 2019, presided over by HE Sun Chanthol, Senior Minister, Minister of Public Works and Transport, HE Kouch Chamroeun, Governor of Preah Sihanouk Provincial Council, and local authorities, expertise groups and relevant stakeholders.

On that occasion, the Minister also mentioned the government’s efforts to prioritize addressing major challenges to the city’s infrastructure system development, which mainly concerns the management of the five natural streams and the existing drainage system which are suffering from encroachment on land of the city streams and canals.

He also pointed out the purpose of redeveloping the city’s natural water system to open water frontage and to deal with rainfall through the construction of a wastewater treatment station, drainage expansion and other supporting infrastructure development.

In the past few years, Sihanoukville has experienced flooding in the city, which has been seen as a result of blockages in the drainage system and the natural stream along with increased construction in the city due to economic development. The city’s urbanization has resulted in greater discharges of wastewater combined with rainfall. According to the Ministry of Interior’s figures, by 2018, the volume of wastewater in Sihanoukville reached 25,000 cubic meters per day and is projected to continue to increase to 47,000 cubic meters per day by 2023. The amount is projected to grow up to 64,000 cubic meters per day by 2030.

Notably, the five streams in Preah Sihanoukville have a total length of 29,791 meters, including Andong UNTAC Stream, (3,116m); Spean Chhes stream (1,170m); Sam’ art Steam (3,775m); Amery Stream (1, 906m) and Or Chher Teal (19,824m). The Ministry of Public Works and Transport, in collaboration with the local authorities, is committed to speeding up and finishing the restoration work before the rains come.

• Urbanization and Architect