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| Huu Lap is one of the communes in the mountainous Ky Son commune that is seriously lacking water, with all 6/6 villages of the commune lacking water. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| In Cha Lan village (Huu Lap commune), the only remaining source of domestic water for 120 households is a small stream from the cliff that is led to the tank of the village Party Secretary Luong Mai Pheng. Mr. Pheng used his own money to buy a pipeline to bring water to the village for people to use. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| Khe Cha Lan still has water flowing through the village but it cannot be used for daily activities due to pollution. Other water sources from the cliff have also been dead for many years. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| The worrying thing in Cha Lan is that the water source that flows to the secretary's house is very small and could dry up at any time like many other water sources before. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| Forests cannot be preserved, slash-and-burn farming occurs, and shifting cultivation occurs... are the reasons why Huu Lap and other highland communes in Nghe An lack water for daily use. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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Not unlike the highland villages of Huu Lap, the four lower-lying villages of Cha Lan, namely Xop Thap, Xop Thang, Xop Nhi, and Ban Na, are also facing a shortage of water for daily life. People are forced to use dirty water for eating, drinking, and bathing. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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Previously, these 4 villages had a domestic water project funded by a non-governmental project. The project took water from Khe Nhi. However, due to lack of careful calculation and good forecast, this project was abandoned. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| Upstream of Khe Nhi are grazing grounds for cattle and livestock. Domestic wastewater from households in the commune is also mostly discharged into this stream. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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The water from Khe Nhi leading into the tank is very dirty, cloudy, and smells bad, so the water in the tank is only used to water plants. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| To solve the problem of domestic water, the villagers pooled their money to buy water pipes from underground streams in the mountains kilometers away. The streams are small and the water is scarce, so every family lacks domestic water. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| When the tank ran out of water, the villagers completely ignored the water in the project tank and instead went to small water holes along the Nhi stream to get it for use. These small water holes were dug and built intentionally to settle and filter the water that seeped through the sand and gravel. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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Lacking water and no money to build a filtration system, many households in Huu Lap are still forced to use water directly from Khe Nhi despite the risk of disease. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
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| The lack of domestic water in Huu Lap is a common situation in many communes in Western Nghe An during this hot season. Photo: Thanh Cuong |
Thanh Chung - Thanh Cuong
