High tap water prices, Van Nam residents still "thirsty"
(Baonghean.vn) -Jars, plastic barrels, and tanks always "open mouth" waiting for the rain, that is the image we encountered when arriving in Van Nam hamlet, Dien Van commune (Dien Chau). This land has been thirsty for water for many years, even when there is a tap water system to the hamlet, people still have to use unsafe well water for daily activities, because the price of tap water is too high while people's lives are still poor, their income mainly depends on salt making.
Arriving at Van Nam hamlet, Dien Van commune, the sight that caught our eyes was that every house had a jar, a barrel, and was dry of water. The hamlet had few green trees, low tiled houses, and the people here were still very poor. We searched for a long time but could not find a single adult, somewhere there were a few children and old people sitting to enjoy the cool breeze at the end of the alley. When Mr. Tu saw us, he felt as if he had opened his heart: "The weather in the south has been too hot these past few days, the Lao wind is blowing fiercely, but it is not as miserable as the lack of water to eat and drink, ma'am."
Mr. Tu talked and pointed ahead. Mr. Tu was worried: this year, the tap water system was installed but it was too expensive, the price was 6,000 VND/cubic meter, just calculating the cost of eating, drinking and bathing, it would be over a hundred thousand VND/month, so he did not dare to use tap water, the family had to borrow well water from neighboring communes to use, conveniently washing clothes there.
Van Nam people rent ox carts to buy water in neighboring communes.
Most of the people in Van Nam have to go get water from other places to use because the local water source is polluted. Boiled water is yellow and thick at the bottom of the pot. During the hot season, without having to carry water from other places, people have no choice but to use this water source for daily activities, especially when the reserve rainwater source is also exhausted. Ms. Tran Thi Ha said: "After working hard all day in the salt fields, when coming home, the family of 5 wants to rest so they use tap water. Even though they use it very sparingly, at the end of the month, they still have to pay nearly a hundred thousand VND. After that, her family only uses tap water for eating and drinking, and for washing vegetables and all other activities, they depend on the unsanitary well water."
A paradox is happening in Van Nam: While many places are "thirsty" for clean water, people in Van Nam hamlet have installed tap water in their homes but do not dare to use it, or only use very little because the price of water is too high, up to 6,000 VND/cubic meter. Mr. Phan Van Ha, Van hamlet
Desperate for clean water, many families dug wells but it took a lot of effort and money, but the result was still salty and alum-contaminated water, not clean water. Unable to dig wells, many households switched to drilling but it was no better. One family could not bear it, 3 to 4 families joined together to dig a well, costing nearly 5 million VND, digging 60 to 80m deep, sometimes up to 90m deep to drill a well, but still could not find a clean water source.
According to the head of Van Nam hamlet - Mr. Le Trong Hung, the average income of Van Nam people is
Mr. Hoang Minh Long - Chairman of Dien Van Commune People's Committee also could not explain why the water price in the countryside is higher than in the city. His family as well as other households in the commune also have to use the same price.
The clean water paradox in Van Nam, Dien Van commune (Dien Chau) is a matter of concern, especially during the current prolonged heat waves.
Thu Huong
