Nghe An: Half a million rural residents lack clean water

In the first 6 months of the year, the total number of people in the province provided with clean water was 22,778 people, reaching 44% of the 2018 plan.

The province currently has 487 centralized water supply projects, of which 90 projects are operating sustainably and 167 projects are operating normally. The number of ineffective and discontinued projects is 230. The total number of small-scale water supply projects is 604,210.

The rate of people receiving water from centralized water supply works is 60%; the rate of people using hygienic water from small, scattered water supply works is 40%.

People in Hung Yen Bac commune (Hung Nguyen) rent well drilling machines to find water for daily use during the hot season. Photo: Quang An

Since the beginning of 2018, the Center for Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation has completed 2 important clean water supply systems focusing on 5 communes including: Dien Yen (Dien Chau), Long Thanh, Khanh Thanh, Vinh Thanh and 3 hamlets of Trung Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) connecting water for 9,039 households for 41,680 users.

The main reason for the current shortage of domestic water in rural areas is that many centralized water supply projects are unfinished for a long time due to insufficient funding. In addition, many areas have complex terrain, and surface water and groundwater conditions are unevenly distributed between seasons and regions, making it difficult to install pipeline systems.

People in the coastal area of ​​Dien Chau invest in water filters for daily use because the drilled water is contaminated with salt and alum. Photo: Quang An

In 2018, there was a widespread and prolonged drought, causing groundwater sources to dry up in some areas. In the coming time, the Center for Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation will coordinate with localities to build and install a pipeline network to increase the proportion of people with clean water, especially during the hot season./.