In-depth
Hanoi faces massive population pressure
  • | vietnamnet, dtinews.vn | November 17, 2015 08:22 AM

Increased migration from rural areas and an increasing number of apartment blocks is meaning many of Hanoi's wards are having to deal with unprecedented numbers of residents, straining urban infrastructure.

 

Increasing numbers of apartment blocks have driven up Hoang Liet Ward's population

Hoang Liet Ward has the highest urbanisation rate in Hanoi. Five years ago, it was still a commune with around 7,000 residents, but today its population has reached 32,000. New apartment blocks and offices are pushing population growth, with a predicted 80,000 population expected by the end of 2017.

Nguyen The Hung, party secretary of Hoang Liet, said the area had just two kindergartens, two primary schools and one secondary school despite the local area already being home to 10,000 children.

"Infrastructure development is lagging well behind population growth," he said.

Nhung, a resident in Hoang Liet Ward, said local people are lacking medical services, especially for basic services such as child vaccination programmes. "I often bring my kids to Bach Mai Hospital in Dong Da District. I'm not comfortable with the lack of services here," she said.

A similar situation is repeated in Hai Ba Trung District. Several wards don't have enough land to build playgrounds for children. In addition, congestion is a major issue, with the local authorities now agreeing to the expansion of Minh Khai Street.

In order to deal with the ballooning population, the chairman of Vinh Tuy Ward said the authorities were seeking permission to be divided into two wards.

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