Hundreds of households in Vinh city have to use dirty water.

(Baonghean.vn) - For decades, 120 households in hamlet 18A, Nghi Lien commune, Vinh city have had to buy water at high prices from other localities, or collect rainwater for daily use because the water source here is heavily polluted.

Most families in hamlet 18A have invested in building filter tanks but still do not have clean water to use. Photo: Thien Thien

Although it is a suburban commune of Vinh city, for decades, people in hamlet 18A, Nghi Lien commune have not had tap water and have had to use well water, while the well water here is polluted, yellow and cloudy, and has a strong fishy smell.

To have clean water, most households in hamlet 18A have to spend a large amount of money to buy it from other localities because each cubic meter of water costs up to more than 70 thousand VND.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Tinh's water tank is yellow and cloudy despite constant cleaning. Photo: Thien Thien

Households with economic difficulties have to wait for the rain to fall, bring out jars and pots to collect rainwater for temporary use, or have to use polluted well water.

According to our observations, most of the water tanks of the local people are filled with yellow sand. The water pumped from the wells is cloudy yellow, with tiny sand stuck in the bottom of the basin.

The water source is too dirty, when pumped out it is yellow and cloudy, has a strong fishy smell, and cannot be used for daily life or cooking. Photo: Thien Thien

At Mr. Nguyen Duc Tinh's family, after Mr. Tinh pumped water from the well and discharged it into a white iron basin, the water was also cloudy yellow and had a fishy smell.

Mr. Tinh said: “I clean the water tank about once every 6 months but the water is still yellow like this. For decades, my family has had to buy clean water from people from Nghi Kim commune. The water from my well can only be used by adults to bathe and wash clothes. Children will get itchy if they bathe in this water.”

Mr. Tinh said that every year his family has to buy 5 barrels of water, each barrel holding 1,000 liters, for cooking and drinking.

The water source at Mr. Hoang Van Ninh’s house (Secretary of Hamlet 18A) is in a similar state, even more polluted than Mr. Tinh’s. Mr. Ninh’s water tank is more than half yellow sand, thick and sticky, clinging to the bottom and sides of the tank.

This is Mr. Hoang Van Ninh's water tank, more than half of the tank is solid yellow sand deposited at the bottom of the tank. Photo: Thien Thien

Because he lives alone, Mr. Ninh uses very little water for daily use. Mr. Ninh does not buy clean water, but when it rains, he takes advantage of the time to bring out a jar to collect rainwater for use all year round.

According to Mr. Ninh, there was a clean water project for Hamlet 18A in particular and Nghi Lien Commune in general. However, currently only 15/19 hamlets have clean water to use, in the remaining 4 hamlets, 100% of households still have to live with dirty water, including Hamlet 18A.

This is the water tank at the commune post office area, the overflowing water stagnates and accumulates in the tank in black streams. Photo: Thien Thien

It is known that in the area of ​​hamlet 18A over the past 10 years, many people have been diagnosed with cancer, including many young people. People suspect the cause is the water source here.

Hamlet 18A is located on the old National Highway 1A, adjacent to Vinh Chemical Company and Mo Phuong cemetery (one of the largest cemeteries in Nghi Lien commune).

Many residents of this hamlet believe that the location near the two above locations is the cause of serious groundwater pollution, affecting the health of local residents at present./.

Thien Thien