Thirsty amidst... vast expanses of water

(Baonghean) - Located right on the edge of the sea, amidst the vast expanse of waves, the people of Nghi Thiet commune, Nghi Loc district, have for generations suffered from a severe shortage of clean water. During these hot days, people have to buy water at a price of 20,000 VND per cubic meter. Expensive and scarce, water is not always available for purchase.

Crossing the Nghi Quang sluice gate in Nghi Loc district, we arrived at Nghi Thiet commune under the scorching sun of early July. The new Chairman of the People's Committee, Bui Van Thanh, poured us water and shook his head in dismay: "The heat is the same everywhere, but the problem in Nghi Thiet is the water shortage. Even though the commune is right next to the sea, surrounded by vast stretches of water, people have to buy water at 20,000 dong per cubic meter, several times more expensive than in the city." After finishing our conversation with the commune chairman, we were guided by Mr. Nguyen Van Thuong, Deputy Head of the Nghi Thiet Commune Militia, to Rong hamlet, considered the "thirstiest area in the coastal region." The sun was blazing. A strong sea breeze carried the salty scent of the sea. The narrow road between the hamlets, barely wide enough for two motorbikes to pass each other, felt congested and cramped. Above, countless plastic pipes ran parallel to electrical wires, connecting houses to houses, hanging precariously and tangled in the air...

The Rồng hamlet in Nghi Thiết commune is located right by the sea, but its residents lack access to clean water.

Upon inquiry, it was revealed that this was the water pipe system for the families in the hamlet. “This village suffers from water shortages year-round, so residents have to buy water from the wells of some households at the beginning of the village. These pipes connect from the well tanks and run directly to each house, just like the city's water supply system,” explained Bui Thanh Cao, a resident of Rong hamlet. Cao explained that although Rong hamlet is located near the Lach Lo coastline, the underlying soil is mostly laterite, preventing access to fresh water. Many households have hired people to dig wells, but they could only dig 5-6 meters before having to stop due to encountering extremely hard boulders. The wells have become a place to store rainwater for later use. This season, with little rain, the wells are all dry, and the whole village is short of water. A few years ago, some well-off households hired specialized drilling equipment to drill wells for water. After overcoming the underground rock layer, some households found groundwater and started selling it to the villagers. Those who want fresh water invest in plastic pipes to run from their homes to the water selling point. A water meter is installed at the end of the pipeline. Every month, the owner of the well collects the water fee, just like they would for electricity. The current price is 20,000 VND per cubic meter.

Despite the high price, not everyone can afford water. Because of the ever-increasing demand, families pool their money to buy water pipes and then split the supply into their homes to buy water collectively. Even families who sell water can't meet the demand. This unique water system only operates twice a day, once in the early morning and once in the late afternoon. Families know the water pumping schedule and wait at the taps to collect water for the whole day. Because of the water scarcity, the daily routines of the people here are also unique. A basin of water is prioritized for washing rice, then vegetables, and finally hands and feet. For bathing and washing clothes, they go to the beach, which is only a few steps from their houses, and then rinse with fresh water upon returning home. Mr. Nguyen Van Thuong, a resident of Rong hamlet, said that his family uses about 10 cubic meters of fresh water per month, but currently cannot buy it because the supply has dried up. Every day, he has to use plastic containers, go to the neighboring village, and find a house with water to buy for use. The whole family's clothes are gathered together and only washed once every one or two days...

Leaving Rồng hamlet, we headed back to Tân Long hamlet. Along the way, we encountered many women carrying water in Bắn hamlet; others used motorbikes and ox carts to transport plastic containers to fetch water from neighboring villages. The luckiest person in Tân Long hamlet was Mr. Phan Văn Hà. His house was at the foot of the mountain, and he boldly hired a machine to drill through the rock to a depth of over 60 meters, fortunately finding an underground water source. Not only did he have enough fresh water for his family, but he also had water to sell to the surrounding residents. He and his wife even opened a kiosk, displaying a sign that read "Rồng Mountain Water," selling water through a plastic pipe system connected to a meter and bottling it for sale to the locals. During this season when water is scarce, each bottle sells for 12,000 to 15,000 dong, plus transportation costs. The house of the commune chairman, Bùi Văn Thành, also in Tân Long hamlet, is also severely lacking in water and has to buy water daily through a plastic pipe system. Many times, Mr. Thanh considered hiring workers to drill a well, but partly because of the high cost, and partly because he saw many households spending 20 to 40 million VND drilling 60 to 70 meters deep without finding water, he gave up. Mr. Thanh said that in Tan Long hamlet, out of 115 households, two-thirds lack water. About 10 households spent a large amount of money and were lucky enough to hit an underground water source, so they have water to sell to their neighbors. The other households can only use water sparingly, relying on collecting rainwater.

Not only the villages of Rồng and Tân Long, but many other areas in Nghi Thiết commune are also severely lacking fresh water, such as the villages of Mới, Nam Thịnh, Bắc Thịnh, Chùa, and Bắn. Out of 1,500 households in the commune, more than half are experiencing water shortages. During the recent extreme heatwave, these families had to buy fresh water. Regarding the paradox of being surrounded by vast stretches of seawater but lacking access to clean water, the Chairman of the Nghi Thiết People's Committee, Bùi Văn Thành, explained: While other coastal communes can find water by drilling wells 8-10 meters into sandy soil, Nghi Thiết's terrain is entirely rocky mountains with no sand dunes, making it extremely difficult to penetrate the rock and find groundwater. Furthermore, the commune has very little forest area, concentrated mainly on Rồng mountain, exacerbating the drought situation.

“To help people have access to clean water, the commune has sought loan sources from the clean water and sanitation project. Some households have borrowed 15-20 million VND to drill wells, but some have water while others don't because there are no groundwater sources. The common wish of the people is for a project to bring clean water to the commune and sell it to the residents. The demand here is very high, because in addition to drinking water, people also need fresh water to supply their boats going out to sea and to supply the Trung Kien shipbuilding village. The commune is also trying to attract businesses to participate, but so far without success,” Chairman Bui Van Thanh said.

Leaving Nghi Thiet coastal village, our hearts were heavy with reflection. Nghi Thiet is an ancient land, associated with the former name of Hoang Lao village. Throughout the nation's history, this harsh land has made significant contributions. It is also the launching site of legendary nameless ships, and a strategically important area for national defense and security… And, on this land, when will the people finally be free from the thirst in this waterlogged area they face today?

Text and photos:Nguyen Khoa