Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Botum Park dug up to extend city sewer

Botum Park dug up to extend city sewer

Labourers expand an underground sediment chamber at the capital’s Botum Park
Labourers work to expand an underground sediment chamber at the capital’s Botum Park. HONG MENEA

Botum Park dug up to extend city sewer

In the latest instalment of a project designed to revamp Phnom Penh’s drainage system, officials have begun work expanding a sediment chamber near the Royal Palace to Wat Botum.

Phase three of the ongoing $350 million drainage system project spearheaded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with Phnom Penh City Hall began in early 2012 and is expected to be completed by April 2015, Long Dimanche, a City Hall spokesman, said.

“It is a big sediment chamber to protect flooding in Phnom Penh,” Dimanche said.

More than 10 construction workers began clearing an area on Botum Park’s northeast side of trees and other obstructions two weeks ago, preparing to dig the area, Hang Kong, a construction site chief, said.

The sediment chamber will play the role of a sediment trap, protecting drainage pipes upstream and downstream of the chamber from clogging. It will also act as a control box to change the flow direction in the rainy and dry seasons, said Toga Uchida, a JICA project formulation adviser.

The 10-metre-by-20-metre chamber, which will prevent debris from clogging drains and prevent floodwater from reaching the river, will be built 5.7 metres under the ground.

About 50 years old, the current sediment chamber spans from Street 240 to the border of the Royal Palace, and has deteriorated over the years, Uchida said.

JICA began working on the drainage project with City Hall in 1999. The initial two phases of the project cost more than $19 million and took nearly a decade to complete.

Construction of the Botum Park chamber is expected to be completed by August, Uchida said. The estimated cost has not yet been calculated.

MOST VIEWED

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Five-year-old Hanuman dances his way into hearts of Cambodia

    A young talent from a new-established settlement has emerged, captivating the online world with his mesmerising performances of the traditional Cambodian monkey dance. Roeun Kakada is a five-year-old prodigy who has taken the social media sphere by storm with his exceptional dance skills and dedication

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • PM declares ASEAN Para Games open

    The 12th ASEAN Para Games officially kicked off on the evening of June 3 at Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh, with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring fireworks and performances by some of the Kingdom’s most accomplished talents. Tens of thousands of sports fans

  • Honda shutters Siem Reap football club

    Japanese football legend Keisuke Honda, the owner of Siem Reap football club Soltilo Angkor FC, has been forced to shut the club down, after it failed to attract sponsorship for the upcoming season. Honda, the former manager of the Cambodia men's national football team, said

  • Waterway job still pending for Kampot tourism port’s opening

    The search is still on for a contractor to expand and deepen the Kampot International Tourism Port’s waterway and deliver additional enhancements allowing safe access for larger vessels, nearly a year after the main construction work on the 4.25ha site was completed on June 30, 2022.