The project covers an area of nearly 1,400 ha in 3 localities: Hanoi, Bac Ninh, and Hung Yen. It involves the relocation of more than 16,400 graves and nearly 1,000 households, as well as the construction of dozens of resettlement areas. Initially, there were challenges as the relocated residents faced concerns about finding a new place to settle, livelihoods, and other spiritual factors. However, with timely access and effective communication from the political system, the benefits of the project became more apparent to the people. They realized the significant purpose and meaning of the Belt and Road 4 to their families, the future of their children, and the socio-economic development goals of their localities. As a result, the project gained the consensus of the people, who willingly handed over their land, houses, and relocated graves to facilitate the implementation of the project. It has become a national aspiration for every family in the three provinces involved in the project:
“- I, like everyone in the commune, am very excited. This is a major project of the city and a significant project for the country. It is a valuable road. All the localities that have land along Belt and Road 4 will benefit economically.
– I am happy because our country is developing. Now, when I go back to my hometown, it is much closer.”
“- The state opens up this road, and the people strongly support it, from officials to ordinary people.”
“- Belt and Road 4 is a vital transportation route for the whole country, not just for one locality. We, the people here, 100% support the decision and are ready to move.”
With the people’s consensus, the project achieved a record in the progress of land clearance – a complex and challenging task. More than 80% of the clean land area was handed over by mid-2023, thanks to special mechanisms for capital and material resources approved by the National Assembly and the Government. The large-scale project commenced and was implemented along the entire route. It set a record in terms of preparation time, with construction beginning just over 10 months after the project was initiated. Concurrently, land clearance work continued to be carried out. Up to now, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, and Hung Yen have approved plans and reclaimed 1,312.05 ha, accounting for 94.36%; relocated 14,930 graves, reaching nearly 91%. In Hanoi alone, over 97% of the land area has been reclaimed, and 13 resettlement areas have been built, covering a total area of over 32 ha.
According to Mr. Pham Quang Thanh, Chairman of the Hanoi Federation of Labor, this result is a record: “The Belt and Road 4 project in the Capital Region is the largest project in the city’s history. It had to be submitted to the National Assembly, and construction began within just over ten months. When the entire political system is united, responsible, and the departments respond quickly, from the top leaders to the grassroots, from ward-level to district-level, and from commune-level to village-level, the schedule for everything is very favorable. Moreover, the project’s completion one or two years ahead of schedule will serve as a driving force for the tremendous socio-economic development.”
In order to bring the project to completion on schedule, in 2024, the three provinces and cities will focus on completing the resettlement areas for the residents, relocating the underground and above-ground technical systems, including the power, information, and water supply systems. They will also address the task of freeing up the remaining 78.44 ha of land. Although this area accounts for only over 5% of the total project area, it presents great difficulties due to the prioritization of complicated tasks. Nguyen Huu Thong, Director of the Belt and Road 4 Project Management Board, Lizen Joint Stock Company, shared: “The biggest challenge still lies in land-related issues, especially the relocation of resettlement areas and technical infrastructure related to the 200 and 500 kV power lines. At this point, the current contractor is working intermittently because the required positions have not been completely cleared. In the coming time, the relevant agencies as well as the departments will support the contractor in the relocation and clearance tasks, creating the best conditions for the construction to proceed.”
Among the more than 78 ha that have not been cleared, Hanoi accounts for 22.2 ha, Hung Yen 34.6 ha, and Bac Ninh 21.62 ha. Hung Yen is the province that still has the largest area of uncleared land. The construction of the resettlement areas and the expansion of cemeteries to free up areas of residential and cemetery land, the relocation of technical infrastructure, and the relocation of businesses in the province have not met the requirements and are at risk of falling behind schedule. This is a challenging area to relocate, as the land does not have the proper legal rights, lacks documentation, and has not allocated the required land area, nor has funding arrangements been made for business relocation. One issue is the relocation of 13 businesses in the province that will have a part or all of their area, totaling over 9 ha to be reclaimed. The difficulty lies in the current regulations not having a resettlement mechanism for businesses. Considering the need for relocation, Mr. Duong Van Hoa, Deputy Director of An Sinh Joint Stock Company, Van Lam, Hung Yen, suggested: “The company strongly supports the state’s policies, but we also have a request for the state to consider how our company can ensure the relocation of the factory.”
Nguyen Quoc Hieu, Chairman of Van Giang District People’s Committee, Hung Yen province, said: “Our main tasks at this stage are: first, propaganda; second, focusing on moving graves, urgently building grave pits; and third, determining the land use origins. For cases where land is sold beyond authorized limits, we propose either handling the issue or proposing the best solution.” Handing over 100% of clean land by the end of the first quarter of this year is a must-do task and determination of all three localities. The challenges posed by the policies have been addressed and proposed solutions by the project’s steering committee, requesting the Government and the National Assembly’s support. However, land clearance remains the primary task. According to Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Secretary of Bac Ninh Provincial Party Committee, it is important to engage the community in projects related to consulting and procurement packages. Ensuring proper compensation and assistance in land clearance and resettlement activities should be done according to specified contracts. With such an economically and socially significant project for the three localities, everyone, including the political systems, is united, determined, and enthusiastic, ensuring high consensus among the people.
The initial success of the project’s groundbreaking and execution indicates that there is still much more work to be done, especially regarding the resettlement of residents and the implementation of construction measures to accelerate the progress. Attention must be paid to ensuring quality and progress while preventing misconduct and losses. With this requirement in mind, Hanoi has come up with an initiative to mobilize community supervision by the beneficiaries of the project, who monitor the progress and quality of construction. Notably, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the need to focus on schedule, quality, and resource preservation in the implementation of the Belt and Road 4 project: “The remaining land clearance area it not much compared to what we have already done, but often what remains is small but difficult. Therefore, we must be more determined. Working on a large scale within a short period, we must overcome all difficulties, including working in shifts around the clock, finishing the tasks rather than focusing on working hours. We need a high level of determination, great effort, decisive actions, and the completion of each job. Strengthening supervision and inspection, anti-negative phenomena, and corruption during the construction organization. In particular, attention should be paid to the material and spiritual lives of the people who have handed over their residences and fields for the project’s implementation.” In parallel with the special mechanisms allowed by the Government and the National Assembly for the construction of Belt and Road 4, in June 2023, the National Assembly included the project in its program of supervision for 2024. Starting the supervision process from the project’s early stages will help limit errors, violations, and ensure effective utilization of national resources for construction as well as progress to guarantee that by 2026, the project will be substantially completed and by 2027, Belt and Road 4 will be put into operation to build a capital city that is civilised, modern, and contributes to promoting the development of the Red River Delta region, a key economic region in northern Vietnam and across the country, meeting the expectations of the people.
