The ceremony was attended by President Truong Tan Sang, former President Tran Duc Luong, Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Le Thanh Hai, representatives from the World Bank and thousands of residents living in the vicinity along the canal.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Le Hoang Quan said over 1.2 million residents living in the 19sq.km area will directly benefit from the project.
Thirteen new bridges have been built across the canal, in addition to landscaping changes in four areas of the canal, he added.
Tan Hoa-Lo Gom used to be the most polluted canal in the city and one of the main causes of flooding in the western districts, and thus crucial in reducing flooding in the area and improving living conditions for local people.
The project, which commenced in 2010, has a total capital of US$167 million, of which the World Bank financed US$128 million, aimed at mitigating flooding in the 19sq.km area in district 6, district 11 and Tan Binh district.
On the occasion, President Truong Tan Sang presented the Labour Order, second class, to the Management Board of the Vietnam Urban Upgrading Project, and together with Ho Chi Minh City's authorities planted trees along the Tan Hoa - Lo Gom Canal.
