Clean water and sanitation program: Positive changes
(Baonghean) -Despite many difficulties in investment capital, in the first 6 months of 2013, with timely support from all levels, sectors, international organizations and people, tens of billions of VND were mobilized to invest in the field of water supply and environmental sanitation.
In 2013, our province's plan is to increase the rate of rural people using hygienic water to 70%, of which 31% of households use water meeting the standards of VN 02: 2009 of the Ministry of Health... In the current economic conditions, achieving that goal is very difficult, therefore, all levels and functional sectors in our province have actively participated in propagating and mobilizing people to actively participate in the program, while effectively exploiting domestic and foreign investment capital sources.
Clean water project from DANIDA - Denmark investment support fund in Yen Thanh.
Mr. Nguyen Ich Xuan - Head of Information and Communication Department - Center for Domestic Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation said: "The advantage in implementing the Clean Water - Rural Environmental Sanitation Program is that the Government has approved the National Target Program for Clean Water - Rural Environmental Sanitation for the period 2012 - 2015 and the province has approved the water supply planning until 2015.
Along with that, in our province, there are many effective models of investment in technology and techniques for rural water supply and sanitation. The team of propagandists is widespread from the district to the village. Therefore, the clean water and environmental sanitation program in our province has created a very clear change". In the first six months of 2013, through the State's capital, our province has invested 13,225 million VND to invest in the field of rural water supply and sanitation and thanks to that, there has been capital to arrange for 14 transitional projects (since 2012), starting 5 new water supply projects, 1 water supply project supported by ADB and many school water supply and sanitation projects... The disbursement work has been carried out well (currently nearly 16,425 million VND has been disbursed), creating favorable conditions for contractors to speed up construction progress and ensure project quality.
One of the important factors in the successful implementation of the National Program on Rural Water Supply and Sanitation in our province is the active participation of the people. Since the beginning of 2013, people have contributed tens of billions of VND to invest in the construction of small-scale water supply and sanitation works and have participated in investing in the construction of large-scale centralized water supply works with modern clean water production technology. During the implementation process, many models and good practices have emerged in rural areas in investing in the construction of water supply and sanitation works, such as establishing groups and teams to contribute money in a rotating manner for group members to invest in the construction of works.
In particular, a lending “channel” that people actively participate in and effectively promote is the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Investment Revolving Fund implemented by the Women’s Union at all levels. Up to now, the fund has disbursed billions of VND to member families to invest in renovating and constructing small-scale water supply and sanitation works. With that result, in the first 6 months of 2013, 2,779,000 people (the plan for the whole year is 2,800,000 people) have used clean water and thus contributed to raising the rate of rural people using clean water to 67.6% (the plan for 2013 is 70%). The rate of households with standard toilets is 44.71%...
The positive results in the first 6 months of 2013 are a solid foundation for the province to complete the plan of the National Program on Clean Water and Rural Environmental Sanitation in 2013. However, in the coming time, departments and localities need to continue to strengthen propaganda and mobilize people to actively participate in the program and relevant departments and agencies should pay attention and provide timely support in terms of investment capital to build water supply and sanitation works to rapidly increase the proportion of rural people benefiting.
Hoang Vinh