Rural clean water and sanitation program: A year of overcoming difficulties

(Baonghean.vn) - Although the total investment capital for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program in 2011 only reached 53% of the plan, with timely support from all levels, functional sectors and the people, the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program was still effectively implemented, contributing to rapidly increasing the rate of people in rural areas using clean water...

2011 was the most difficult period in implementing the Rural Clean Water - Environmental Sanitation Program in the province. The investment capital from the State and international organizations was limited, and the slow capital allocation greatly affected the implementation process, especially the investment in the construction of centralized water supply works. In 2011, the total investment capital for this field was expected to be nearly 610 billion VND, but only over 322 billion VND was implemented, reaching more than 53% of the plan. Previously, the Central Government's support capital was always an important investment source to implement the program, but this year it was only 30.5 billion VND/96.2 billion VND (reaching 32% of the plan), the 135 - CP Program, the 30a Program in 2011 also could not "unblock" the capital source. The provincial budget support capital is only 6% of the plan and along with the deadlock in capital sources from international organizations... has caused many difficulties for the Nghe An Clean Water - Environmental Sanitation Program in 2011.

In recent times, the driving force for change in the water supply and sanitation sector has come from preferential credit capital (through loans from the Bank for Social Policies and the Women's Union) and capital contributed by the people. Although the preferential credit capital only reached 54% of the plan (70 billion VND), nearly 210 billion VND (reached 104% of the plan). This result, but the capital contributed by the people is a concrete demonstration of communication work at the grassroots level.

It can be seen that, in the past time, the Steering Committee of the Rural Clean Water - Environmental Sanitation Program from the province down to the grassroots level has been very active. Many members of the Steering Committee only hold part-time positions, but have also spent a lot of effort and time to remove difficulties and shortcomings in the implementation process, while strengthening inspection and supervision at the grassroots level.

In particular, through a team of communication staff spread throughout the villages and hamlets with rich and attractive activities attracting people to participate, thereby changing awareness and taking the right actions on clean water - environmental sanitation. With the active support of all levels, functional sectors and especially the people, the Clean Water - Environmental Sanitation Program in 2011 achieved some encouraging results, such as: The number of rural people using hygienic water for daily life increased from 60% to 64% (reaching an increase of 3%), in which the use of clean water according to QCVN 02:2009/BYT increased from 23.1% to 24.4% at the end of 2011 (reaching an increase of 1.3%); the number of rural households with hygienic toilets increased from 59% to 63.1% at the end of 2011, in which meeting criteria 08/BYT increased from 23.6% to 30.4%.

2012 is expected to face many difficulties in terms of capital, so all levels and functional sectors need to pay attention and support in all aspects, and at the same time propose effective solutions so that the Rural Clean Water - Environmental Sanitation Program can achieve its set plan.

Hoang Vinh