At present, Gia Lam District has only a handful of public places for recreational and community activities. The environment in many areas is polluted and some of the areas planned for such activities are encroached upon or misused. The socialization of the investment in and maintenance of flower gardens, playgrounds, and lakes in the communes (town) have not been effectively implemented. Faced with this situation, the district has set up a project on socializing the investment in flower gardens, playgrounds, and lakes in order to strengthen the management of land and improve the environment, people’s health, and the faces of urban and rural areas.
Architectural space and landscape organization chart of Gia Lam District
Following the “Investment in and management of flower gardens, playgrounds, and lakes in Gia Lam District in the period of 2017-2020” scheme, the district has introduced five models of investment, exploitation, use, and maintenance of flower gardens, parks, and lakes in the area. Accordingly, the district People’s Committee will review the general planning and choose the areas planned for building large-scale flower gardens, parks, and lakes to propose to the Municipal People’s Committee to call for investment in the form of donation, BOT, and PPP, especially donation. The district People’s Committees will proceed with approving the master site plans for the projects of investment, exploitation, and maintenance of flower gardens, playgrounds, and lakes. The People’s Committee will also facilitate the improvement of and invest in the infrastructure system outside the project areas.
The district People’s Committee will organize the elaboration and implementation of utilities items in a synchronous manner according to applicable regulations. Commune-level People’s Committees will organize the bidding for selection of employers with full capacity and experience in the exploitation, repairs, and maintenance of flower gardens, playgrounds, and lakes on the basis of comparison of contributions to the state budget. The exploitation periods will be according to the bidding results, but in no case exceeding 5 years. Commune-level People’s Committees will organize the elaboration and implementation of investment projects strictly in accordance with the decision of the district People’s Committee. Bidding shall be organized for the selection of employers with full capacity and experience in the exploitation of services on the basis of comparison of contributions to the state budget. The exploitation periods will be according to the bidding results, but in no case exceeding 5 years. Bidding and direct public procurement with discount will be carried out on the basis of the unit price norms set out by the State. The period for direct procurement shall not exceed 5 years.
Regarding social impacts, the scheme will contribute to the synchronous and unified management of the system of flower gardens, parks, and lakes by ensuring close connections among the stages, namely the investment, exploitation, use, repairs, and maintenance stages, and resolving inconsistencies between the exploitation and use with the repairs and maintenance. The scheme is also expected to solve the local inundation situation, improve environmental sanitation conditions and urban architectural landscapes, put an end to the encroachment upon lake areas and misuse of lakes and ensure the areas of lakes, and raise awareness and increase responsibilities of organizations and households on the protection of living environments, ensuring sustainable urban development.
It is expected that from 2017 to 2020, the district will successfully call for the socialization of investment in 242 items, including 19 flower garden items, 99 playground items, 122 lake items, and 2 planned investment items with land recovery. The estimated investment cost is 1,584.63 billion VND, of which 61.99 billion VND will be covered by the state budget and 1,527.37 billion VND will be covered by socialized investment capital. The estimated annual maintenance cost is 15.89 billion VND.
Playgrounds are very necessary cultural destinations for children
At present, flower gardens, playgrounds, and lakes in the district are in small quantity and have not been invested in synchronously. Some of the lakes are left to be degraded, causing environmental pollution. The district currently has 19 flower gardens located in 8 communes with a total area of 5.83 ha and 24 playgrounds located in the precincts of cultural centers of 5 communes with a total area of about 6,736 ha. The playgrounds are still of small scale and crowded by people coming by to relax and exercise. The playgrounds have not been maintained regularly and the equipment for exercise in some playgrounds was damaged and degraded. 67 public land areas in 15 communes (town) with a total area of about 14.625 ha were also temporarily turned into sports grounds. These playgrounds have not been put under any management units and are self-organized by the people.
Hoang Ngan