Clean water is not guaranteed in many rural areas.

(Baonghean) - Currently, Nghe An rural areas have invested in and put into use 487 centralized domestic water supply works, with a total designed capacity of 60,140 m³/day and night, ensuring domestic water supply for 490,730 people, and only 40% of people in rural areas have access to clean water. Nghe An is striving to have 60% of the rural population have access to clean water by 2020.

Limestone-contaminated water forms into blocks in water heaters in Anh Son town.

Basically still "self-sufficient"

Mr. Vo Kien's family in Block 1B, Anh Son Town (Anh Son District) is currently using tap water from the water supply system of Anh Son Water Plant. However, he was very worried when he removed the water heater and water tank and saw a thick layer of white lime-like residue that made the water heater unable to work. Mr. Kien wanted to use tap water and had to filter it through a filter, but it precipitated white residue, and when he boiled the water, it was all scum. This is also a common situation for families in Block 1B, Anh Son Town.

In Hung Nhan commune and many communes of Hung Nguyen district, due to the lack of clean water system, people mainly use rainwater and well water. Every family in Hung Nhan commune, no matter how poor, can invest in a rainwater tank for about 4 - 5 million VND.

Nguyen Van Trung’s family in Hamlet 7 invested 5 million VND to build a rainwater tank for drinking, and used well water for daily use. However, during flood season, the water from the well is not guaranteed, and sometimes there is no rainwater. In Hamlet 3, Nguyen Loan’s family also has to use well water, but the water is contaminated with alum and has a yellow color, which is very harmful to health.

In many hamlets of Nghi Van commune (Nghi Loc), the main source of water is well water, but it is contaminated with limestone, so many people are worried because children often have damaged tooth enamel and blackened teeth. The quality of natural water in mountainous districts and remote areas is also degraded and damaged, not guaranteed. In general, the quality of water in many rural areas is not safe for health.

Mr. Nguyen Van Trung, hamlet 7, Hung Nhan commune (Hung Nguyen) invested in a rainwater tank for drinking and eating for 5 million VND.

The evaluation results of nearly 500 state-invested projects show that 257 projects (53%) are in good use; 230 projects, 47% (mainly self-flowing water supply projects) are operating inefficiently or have stopped operating. In addition, there are small, scattered water supply projects. Rural water supply is currently basically dug wells, drilled wells, jars, and water tanks; the total number is about 700,000, of which 23% are qualified projects.

Strive for 60% of rural population to have access to clean water

A recent assessment by the Provincial People's Committee shows that: In rural areas, the scale of centralized water supply investment is still small, fragmented, dispersed, ineffective investment, water shortages still occur in many areas, and water resources are limited. In addition, recently many investment projects have been unfinished, prolonged, and slow to develop effectively, causing frustration among residents. Up to now, there are 14 projects that have not been completed in the transition period of the 2016 - 2020 plan, with a total design scale of 8,120m3/day and night, supplying water to 120,400 people. One of the reasons for the above situation is the limited investment capital, which has not met the demand.

Regarding water quality, according to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai - Vice Chairman of Nghi Loc District People's Committee, the quality of water after treatment of some water supply systems is not advanced, leading to the water quality in Nghi Loc not meeting the regulations of the standards according to QCVN on the quality of drinking and domestic water, some water samples are still contaminated with E.Coli, Coliform... water samples left to settle for about 7-10 days still have yellow precipitate due to iron contamination.

By 2020, Nghe An is aiming to invest in building, upgrading and expanding clean water supply systems, striving for all urban areas in Nghe An province to have water supply systems that ensure flow and quality to serve people's needs and production, business and socio-economic development activities.

For rural areas, it will integrate and promote capital resources from related programs and projects such as the National Target Program on New Rural Development, Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction, 135, 134, 30a...) and socialized resources to invest in developing residential water supply works. By 2020, 60% of the rural population will have access to clean water that meets national standards, with an estimated number of 1.5 million people.

Mr. Nguyen Loan's family in hamlet 3, Hung Nhan commune (Hung Nguyen) has to use well water contaminated with alum.

In the 2016 - 2020 period, we will focus on completing 14 transitional projects on centralized domestic water supply in rural areas (including 13 national target support projects and 1 ADB project).

Some known transitional works are: inter-commune water supply works of Long Thanh, Khanh Thanh, Vinh Thanh, Trung Thanh (Yen Thanh); water supply works of Quynh Tho, Quynh Lam (Quynh Luu); Hung Thang, Hung Tan, Hung Phuc (Hung Nguyen)...

Chau Lan