"Thirsty" for clean water

(Baonghean.vn) - Hung Chinh commune (Vinh City) currently has 1,786 households with nearly 8,000 inhabitants, but only over 40% of the people have access to clean water. Meanwhile, the groundwater source is not safe for use.

Before its merger with Vinh City, Hung Chinh commune belonged to Hung Nguyen district, so its water supply was provided by the district's clean water supply center. However, due to outdated equipment and pipelines that had been in use for decades, nearly 60% of the residents of Hung Chinh commune did not have access to clean water. Of the commune's eight hamlets, only Hamlet 8, which is close to the primary water supply pipeline of the plant, had sufficient clean water; the remaining hamlets were always in a state of severe water shortage. Therefore, the sight of people begging for or buying water was not uncommon here.

Mr. Nguyen Van Mai next to his family's rainwater storage jar. Photo: TQ

In Hamlet 6 of Hung Chinh commune, the worry of water shortage weighs heavily on the residents during the hot April days. The hamlet has 214 households with 720 inhabitants, but only 30 households have access to the water pipeline from the plant. However, of those 30 households, only 3 receive water, while the remaining 27 are without supply. The pipelines are dilapidated, preventing clean water from reaching them. To obtain water, residents are forced to drill wells to find groundwater. However, the water is contaminated with alum, requiring drilling to a depth of 32 meters or more to find water for daily use. For drinking water, they rely on the meager reserves of rainwater or purchase it at high prices.

Similarly, in Hamlet 1, out of 180 households, only 65 have access to water. Because it's located next to the Dam Dam Cemetery, residents here limit their use of groundwater; if they do use it, they have to drill several tens of meters deep to obtain water for daily use. Mr. Nguyen Van Mai, a resident who registered and installed a water supply system from the plant more than 10 years ago, said: “After 10 years of use, the water meter only shows 50 cubic meters. Sometimes, for 3 or 4 months straight, my family only pays the plant 12,000 VND because the amount of water pumped is too little. In winter, we can't install a water heater because the pipes rust badly after a short time. If we use well water for bathing, we often experience itching and discomfort, or after only a few washes, our clothes turn yellow.”

Mr. Nguyen Hong Quang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hung Chinh commune, said: "Because the plant lacked sufficient funds to renovate the pipeline system and only operated the old system, the water supply to the people has been inadequate in the past. Given this situation, the Hung Nguyen Water Plant upgrade project was launched at the end of 2009 with a total budget of nearly 45 billion VND. To date, nearly 24 km of pipelines have been installed and are undergoing pressure testing. According to calculations, by June 2015, the project will be operational to supply clean water to the town and the three communes of Hung Chinh, Hung Dao, and Hung My."

However, the project only built the primary and secondary water supply systems, while the tertiary and quaternary water supply systems to individual households were not included. Therefore, any family wishing to use tap water must invest in installing the pipes themselves, requiring a considerable amount of money to bring water to their home.

THANH QUYNH

For over four months, nearly 1,000 residents of Trung Do hamlet, Tan Hop commune, Tan Ky district, have been facing a severe shortage of clean water. The main water source for the people of Trung Do hamlet is the Mo Rang stream. Every day, residents have to travel 5 km to the stream to fetch water, but this year the Mo Rang stream has completely dried up.

Most households have run dry, with their water tanks and wells depleted. Those without access to water have to buy it at a price of 100,000 VND per cubic meter. This is an exorbitant price for the residents, especially in Trung Do hamlet, where 50% of families are classified as poor. Many households have invested over 10 million VND to rent machinery to drill wells, but the water source only lasts for a short time before drying up.

Water shortages have significantly impacted the lives of residents, particularly the teaching and learning activities at Tan Hop Kindergarten. To provide a local water source, the school hired a well drill to a depth of 80 meters, but still found no water. Therefore, parents have to bring a water container with them every time they bring their children to school. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Minh, head of Trung Do hamlet, expressed: “Trung Do hamlet has always struggled with access to clean water, and this year the weather is even drier than in previous years. We hope that relevant authorities will pay attention and provide support to help the hamlet overcome the water shortage for its residents…”

Phuong Thao

(Tan Ky Radio)