Lesson 1: "The Muddy River"
(Baonghean) - Residents of Thanh Dong, Thanh Mai, Thanh Ngoc communes... in Thanh Chuong district are facing unprecedented hardship due to unfinished road construction projects. The contractor has disappeared without a trace, the district has issued only perfunctory directives, the roads remain muddy, and people have to travel daily on these "miserable" roads without knowing who to turn to for help.
The most "troublesome" route is Route 533, connecting Thanh Giang and Thanh Mai communes with the Ho Chi Minh Highway. Construction on this route began in 2006 but remains unfinished. The entire 6-kilometer stretch looks like a "river of mud." Mr. Le Xuan An, head of Nam Son hamlet, expressed his frustration: "The road is so muddy that students have to ride ox carts to school. The hamlet has over 100 hectares of hybrid acacia trees ready for harvest, but we can't sell them. Not to mention, the lives of the people here depend on tea cultivation, but the difficult road conditions mean we're constantly being forced to accept low prices, or even unable to sell our tea at all."
Mr. Bui Van Thang, Chairman of the Thanh Mai Commune People's Committee, added: "This road is the main artery of the commune, isolated since July 2011. Officials from Trung Son hamlet have to walk for two hours to reach the commune center. We also have to walk all the way to Thanh Giang commune to attend meetings before we can use our motorbikes. In 2011, the commune was unable to implement infrastructure projects such as the construction of the primary school, the 135 projects, and many houses because vehicles could not transport materials. Construction on this road has been underway for quite some time, and we don't understand why it has been abandoned. We hope that relevant authorities will quickly find a solution to complete the road construction and stabilize the lives of the people."
Muddy road in Thanh Ngoc commune (Thanh Chuong district).
We continued our search along the Thanh Ngoc commune road, which was originally a dirt and gravel road that had been used normally by residents for a long time. In 2011, the Thanh Chuong District People's Committee authorized the construction of a road leading to the waste disposal site, but the construction company, Minh Quyen Construction Company, only excavated and filled some sections of the roadbed and then covered it with soil. When it rained, the soil turned into mud.
Although the sun had been shining for three days, when we arrived, the entire road was still muddy. Elementary and middle school students had to walk, pushing their bicycles, or rely on adults to carry them through the muddy sections, many with their clothes covered in mud. Ms. Tran Thi Ha from Hamlet 5 lamented: "It's bearable when it's sunny for a few days, but when it drizzles, it's unbearable. We have to roll up our pants and carry our children to school. Sometimes, we slip and fall, and there have been many cases of sprains and dislocations. Frustrated by the situation, the residents of the hamlets have contributed money to buy gravel to temporarily pave the road for travel. With this kind of construction, it's better to leave the old road as it is..." Nguyen Van Tien, a second-grade student at Thanh Ngoc Elementary School, said: "I've fallen off my bicycle twice on this road already, and now I'm very scared..." Mr. Vo Van Dinh, Chairman of the Thanh Ngoc Commune People's Committee, said: "The contractor needs to level the road so that people can travel and have a stable life..."
National Highway 46, connecting Thanh Dong and Thanh Phong communes to Trang Son and Minh Son (Do Luong district), is 6 km long and cost over 40 billion VND (a level 4 road), constructed by Vi Len Company (Hanoi). For more than two years, thousands of households in Thanh Dong and Thanh Phong communes have suffered greatly, constantly living amidst muddy conditions. As we traveled along the road in the scorching sun, many sections remained muddy and impassable, while in drier areas, passing vehicles kicked up clouds of dust. Mr. Nguyen Doan Thao, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Dong commune, shook his head in frustration when speaking with a reporter: "During the Lunar New Year, there was a lot of rain. The road was covered in thick, winding mud, slippery with slippery eels. Vehicles driving on it were stuck to the mud. At times, the road was isolated, and people had to walk around to Hamlet 5, Thanh Dong commune, to reach National Highway 46. Currently, the two bridge abutments in Thanh Phong commune are still unfinished, and the mud is so thick it easily causes accidents for road users."
When asked about solutions to ensure traffic flow on unfinished roads under construction, Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Chuong District - angrily replied: "Go ask Mr. Ha (Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Chuong District - PV)" (recorded from audio recording).
Finally, we managed to work with Mr. Nguyen Viet Thien, Head of the Industry and Trade Department of Thanh Chuong District. We learned that the Thanh Giang - Thanh Mai - Ho Chi Minh Highway, an 8km route worth over 40 billion VND, is being constructed by Irrigation Company I. Currently, the construction unit has received over 50% of the funding and has completed nearly 50% of the work. During Tet (Lunar New Year), the company laid over 260m3 of crushed stone on the key section. We don't know when the construction will be completed yet due to ongoing budget adjustments. In general, the most significant difficulty currently remains the funding source. For example, the Thanh Thinh to Ngoc Lam route, a 9km route worth over 30 billion VND, started in 2011, but the construction unit has only received 2 billion VND. For the Thanh Dong - Thanh Phong route, the landfill - Thanh Ngoc route, etc., the district will direct the contractors to proceed with construction when the weather is dry.
Although aware of the current funding difficulties, the People's Committee of Thanh Chuong district needs to review transportation projects. If funding has already been allocated, construction progress should be accelerated. If funding is limited, measures must be taken in coordination with relevant agencies and contractors, using machinery and equipment to level and prepare roads, ensuring convenient travel for the people.
(To be continued)
Van Truong
