Synchronize solutions

(Baonghean) - Mr. Phan Bui My - Director of the Center for Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation (VSMTNT)Interview with Nghe An Newspaper.

Reporter: Clean water - Environmental sanitation is an important field that always receives great attention from all levels, sectors and people. Could you please tell us how this field has been implemented in the past time?

Mr. Phan Bui My: Implementing the National Target Program on Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation in our province has many advantages, that is, the Government has approved the National Target Program on Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation for the period 2012-2015 and the planning for water supply and sanitation in rural areas until 2015, with a view to 2020 has been approved by the People's Committee of Nghe An province. Along with that, there is the attention and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee and Party committees and authorities at all levels. In particular, people's awareness of the importance of clean water and rural sanitation is increasingly enhanced, there are many technological and technical models on water supply and rural sanitation that are effectively exploited...

On the basis of the “Nghe An Clean Water - Sanitation and Rural Development Program Project”, the province has planned, prioritized investment capital and issued mechanisms and policies to encourage investors in the field of water supply - Sanitation and Rural Development. Along with investment capital from the State budget, bank loans, revolving credit funds of the Women's Union and contributions from beneficiaries from domestic and foreign organizations such as UNICEF, DANIDA (Denmark), World Bank - WB, Asian Development Bank - ADB... also always prioritize capital support for this field. In 2014 alone, it reached more than 242.7 billion VND, of which support capital from the central budget was 30 billion VND, preferential credit capital was 82 billion VND, and people contributed 90 billion VND...

People of Dien Chau district rally in response to the Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation Program. Photo: HV

To implement the National Target Program on Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation, our province has established a Steering Committee consisting of relevant sectors such as: Agriculture & Rural Development, Natural Resources & Environment, Health, Education - Training... In the past, the Provincial Steering Committee has deployed and closely monitored activities in the field of clean water and rural environmental sanitation. Relevant departments and sectors have coordinated to develop specific programs and actions, so projects in the field of water supply and rural environmental sanitation have been effectively implemented. Through the rural water supply project, in the past, our province has built many centralized water supply works with modern technology, large capacity and small-scale water supply works, so in 2014, 73% of the rural population used hygienic water according to the criteria of Decision No. 2570/QD - BNN - TCTL and 34% of the population used clean water according to QCVN 02: 2009/BYT.

In the project of providing water for daily life and sanitation for schools, the capital source of the National Target Program and international organizations has always been prioritized, so many concentrated and large-scale projects have been built, and in 2014, 59% of schools in rural areas had access to clean water and hygienic toilets. In the project of cleaning livestock barns, with the efforts of relevant levels and sectors in propaganda and mobilization work, especially the grassroots propaganda team, gradually raising people's awareness in building livestock barns, so now 43% of rural households have hygienic livestock barns.

Regarding rural sanitation, relevant levels and sectors have also prioritized investment capital, along with organizing training sessions, introducing models and techniques for people to choose to invest in building suitable works... so currently 49% of rural households use hygienic toilets. In the project to build water supply and toilets at health stations, nearly 90.4% of commune health stations currently use standard water and toilets.

Implementing Circular 54/TT - BTC on water supply and sanitation in new rural communes, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Finance have recently organized training courses to guide the implementation of Circular 54 and develop implementation plans for units and localities. According to statistics, in our province, there are 442 centralized water supply works, of which 391 are self-flowing works in mountainous and midland districts, and 51 are pumping works in plain districts. To promote the effectiveness of these works, the authorities are currently investigating and assessing the current status of the works, thereby proposing solutions and identifying the owners of the works.

Reporter: Could you please tell us the goals and measures to effectively implement the 2015 Water Supply - Sanitation and Rural Development Program in the province?

Mr. Phan Bui My: In 2015, the target of the Agriculture and Rural Development sector is that the number of rural people using hygienic water will increase from 73% to 75% (by the end of 2015), of which, the use of clean water according to QCVN 02:2009/BYT will increase from 34% to 40%; The rate of livestock farms with hygienic waste treatment will increase from 43% to 45% by the end of 2015; the number of rural households with hygienic toilets according to criteria 08/BYT will increase from 49% to 54%. The rate of health stations with clean water supply facilities and hygienic toilets will increase from 90.4% to 100%; the rate of schools with clean water supply facilities and hygienic toilets will increase from 59% to 61%.

To achieve that goal, it is necessary to synchronously deploy solutions, such as strengthening communication and education work, introducing clean water supply and use technologies, introducing water supply and environmental sanitation models. In particular, the issue of policies that are suitable to reality and timely implement the socialization of rural domestic water supply according to Decision 131/QD-TTg dated November 2, 2009 of the Prime Minister on a number of preferential policies, encouraging investment and management of exploitation of rural clean water supply works. Using a part of the business capital to support management and operation after construction (for works put into use after 3 years).

To rapidly increase the proportion of rural people using clean water according to clean water production technology standards, it is necessary to pay due attention and prioritize support for connection projects, expanding projects from existing water plants to reduce upstream costs, build quickly, ensure water quality and maximize the capacity of built water plants. Focus on investing in large-scale, inter-commune water supply projects, limit fragmented investment to minimize construction area, easily control water quality, reduce management and operation costs... To effectively implement the Clean Water and Rural Environment Program, in 2015, the total capital need to be mobilized is more than 396 billion VND, of which the proposed central budget is 100 billion VND and the provincial budget supports 30 billion VND, the rest is mobilized from all levels, sectors, beneficiaries and the New Rural Development Program, Program 134, 135, Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction Program...

This year's "National Week on Clean Water - VSMTNT" will be held on April 25 in Long Thanh - Yen Thanh commune. In addition to the launching ceremony in response to the "National Week on Clean Water - VSMTNT", there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the centralized clean water supply system between Long Thanh, Khanh Thanh, Vinh Thanh and Trung Thanh communes using ADB loan capital.

PV: Thank you!

Hoang Vinh

(Perform)