Thirsty villages

Thirsty villages

It's only the beginning of summer, but numerous villages in Nghe An province are already struggling with drought and a shortage of clean water. Many are forced to use polluted water sources. Furthermore, hundreds of water treatment plants in the province are operating inefficiently or have been abandoned. Meanwhile, meteorological agencies predict that temperatures this year will be higher than the multi-year average, and the drought situation will worsen in the coming period.

Part 1: Water shortage from the lowlands to the highlands

For many years, from the mountainous districts in western Nghe An province to coastal villages, the shortage of clean water during the summer has been a severe problem. This "thirst" has plagued every family and village, and there is still no effective solution.

Record drought in 40 years

From early morning, Mr. Lang Van Tinh (Ke Sung village, Mau Duc commune, Con Cuong district) had to carry two plastic containers through the forest to find water for daily use. In Ke Sung village now, almost all containers that can hold water are being used by the people to store it. For more than a month now, since the rains gradually became less frequent and were replaced by torrential downpours, the people here have been suffering from a severe lack of water for daily use.

“My family has two deep wells, but during the hot season, neither of them has water. We have to get water for drinking, bathing, and washing clothes from streams and springs. For the past two or three years, during the dry season, the water in the streams and springs has been very scarce, insufficient to meet the needs of my family and the villagers. To get water, we have to go all the way to the headwaters of the streams and springs and dig deep holes to fetch water,” Mr. Tinh said. Of the eight villages in Mau Duc commune, three are facing a severe shortage of water for daily use.

Mr. Vi Van Vuong, Vice Chairman of the Mau Duc Commune People's Committee, said that the shortage of clean water has caused many difficulties for people's lives, leading to environmental pollution and a high risk of disease outbreaks. Although the local government has tried, there is still no solution to address the problem.

Similar to Ke Sung, Khe Ngau village in Xa Luong commune, Tuong Duong district, has also been without running water for several days. In previous years, 153 households in Khe Ngau village shared a water system with Ang and Lo villages in Xa Luong commune, funded by the government. This year, due to the dry weather and Khe Ngau being located at the end of the water source, the water ran out before it reached the village, leaving the water tanks empty for the past two months, causing many difficulties for the villagers.

Mr. Luong Van Pan, from Khe Ngau village, said that the tap water system has dried up, and some households have invested in digging wells but without success. This is because the water is too limey and has a foul odor. Some households that haven't dug wells have to use river water, which is not hygienic... According to the elderly, Khe Ngau has never experienced such a severe drought in over 40 years.

According to reporters, not only Xa Luong commune, but also numerous villages in Tuong Duong district are experiencing severe water shortages despite the beginning of summer. The lack of clean water is occurring in villages along National Highway 7 such as Bai So, Lang Mo (Tam Quang); Mac, Lau, Nhan, Chan (Thach Giam town); and even inland communes like Luong Minh, Yen Hoa, Yen Na, Yen Tinh, Xieng My, Yen Thang, and Nga My. Mr. Lo Kham Kha, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Tuong Duong district, said that the weather is becoming increasingly erratic, and the risk of drought is already present in some areas that previously never experienced water shortages, such as Tam Quang, Nga My, and Xieng My. Many streams and ravines have dried up...