Mr. Son: Many water supply works are abandoned.

(Baonghean) - Despite huge investments, many water supply projects in Anh Son district are not effective. This reality raises the urgency of checking and re-evaluating the capacity and effectiveness of the projects to find investment and operation solutions suitable to local characteristics.

Currently, Vinh Kim and Yen Hoa villages in hamlets 11 and 12, Hoa Son commune (Anh Son) have nearly 300 households, mainly Thai ethnic people, who are used to using water from streams and dug wells for daily activities. In 2007, through Program 134/CP, Hoa Son commune invested in a self-flowing water project at the source of Vinh Kim and Yen Hoa villages. The project has 9 community water tanks, a source water filtration system, a water pipeline system from the source to the starting point of the community filtration tanks with an investment capital of nearly 1 billion VND from Denmark's funding and support and contributions from the people according to the motto "The State and the people work together". However, up to now, the project has been exposed to rain and sun. The source water tank is damaged and abandoned, the pipeline connecting from the source is broken underground, the bathroom, faucet and concrete cover are all gone.

The clean water project has been abandoned for 6 years in hamlet 1, Hoa Son commune (Anh Son).

Mr. Luong Van Thai - Head of Vinh Kim village, said: "After a period of construction and trial operation, the water pipe to the village broke, the project was abandoned for many years without anyone paying attention". Mr. Nguyen Van Linh - Vice Chairman of Hoa Son Commune People's Committee, said: People have made many recommendations to the commune and in the meetings of voters of the District People's Council. However, so far there has been no action. The commune hopes that the superiors will soon find a solution to fix it and reinvest in the pipeline system so that people can use water from the project.

In 2002, the clean water project taking water from a natural source in Cao Veu 1 village, Phuc Son commune (Anh Son) was completed with a water tank system, a pipeline system, a filter tank on the hilltop, and water supply pillars for households. People directly contributed labor and hired workers to lay pipes to households. The project was funded by the Danida Clean Water Program Project, with the commune as the investor with a total cost of 539 million VND. However, when preparing to hand over, the water pipe system was trampled by an elephant, and the water source to households was cloudy. Up to now, the entire pipe system is rotten, the zinc pipes are rusty, the contractor has not been able to settle the account for the abandoned project and there has been no further action. Mr. Le Van Trang - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Son commune, said: The most difficult thing is to fix this project, which requires re-investment from the beginning, with a large cost, while the local budget is limited and cannot be arranged.

According to the preliminary review results, the whole Anh Son district currently has 9 clean water projects using water from natural sources and underground water sources, funded by clean water projects from ODA capital, Program 134, 135, projects funded by Denmark, capital contributed by the State and people. The investment scale is from 1 - 1.5 billion VND/project, construction time is 7 - 14 years ago, most of them are invested by the People's Committee of Anh Son district (except for the project in Phuc Son commune, which is invested by the commune). However, up to now, only 2 clean water supply projects in village 8, village 9, Hoa Son commune and Anh Son town clean water project have been effective. These projects are managed by the Cooperative Group and Nghe An Water Supply Company; the remaining 7 clean water projects were abandoned, many projects have not been completed and handed over but have been damaged and left unused for decades. Over the years, thousands of households and local authorities involved in the clean water supply project area have had many questions and petitions to all levels and sectors, but so far they have not received any attention or resolution.

The reason for the above situation is that the survey and investment process of clean water projects has not fully assessed the water supply capacity of the project and the water source. The maintenance and repair process lacks capital. Meanwhile, according to Mr. Nguyen Cong The - Head of the Department of Agriculture of Anh Son district, most of these projects maintain a community management model, without a maintenance and repair committee, so the management and operation are weak; the awareness of protecting the project of the locality and people is not good, the supervision of superiors and related councils is not synchronous.

Currently, Anh Son district is focusing on reviewing and re-evaluating the capacity and efficiency of the works to find investment solutions, change appropriate designs, and build new regulations on management, operation, and maintenance of works. Mr. Nguyen Huu Sang - Vice Chairman of Anh Son District People's Committee, said: The district is focusing on forming an effective management apparatus in two directions: First, it will implement the transfer to water companies and enterprises for management. However, the district is not completely proactive in this because it depends on the needs of partners and enterprises. The second direction is to form management cooperatives to specify the responsibility for operating the works, and set out regulations such as collecting service fees according to legal regulations, and maintaining works for community clean water works. In addition, the district focuses on mobilizing capital to upgrade, renovate, and promote the effectiveness of works in many ways such as mobilizing capital from enterprises, projects, State capital and people to invest together...

Luong Mai