Journey to decode the 'conflicts' in clean water production and business by Nghe An Newspaper reporter
(Baonghean.vn) - In early June 2019, when people in Vinh City and surrounding areas had doubts and concerns about the quality of clean water for daily use, we received instructions to urgently verify and clarify.
The person who directly assigned us the task was Editor-in-Chief Pham Thi Hong Toan. She said,People in Vinh City and surrounding areas are currently skeptical and worried about the quality of clean water for daily use. And directed: "The Editorial Board assigned you to verify information to have a report, and build a series of articles on this issue. This is a "hot" issue, must be very urgent. Try to closely follow the Project "Ensuring clean water supply in Nghe An province in the period of 2016 - 2020", record the results of attracting investment of the province and the efforts of investors, but must be fair and objective to clarify the shortcomings, limitations and explain the causes...".
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| Cover of the thematic works “Eliminating “locality” in clean water production and business”. Photo: PV |
From this directive, we approached the people to better understand their concerns. That is, people are having to use domestic water at high costs, calculated by the progressive method from 8,500 - 15,000 VND/m3, but Hung Vinh Water Plant (belonging to Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company) has signs of using Song Dao water source that does not ensure quality to produce clean water, contrary to the regulations of the Provincial People's Committee that must use raw water source taken directly from Song Lam. In addition, Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company is forcing water users to re-do extremely complicated and troublesome registration procedures...
Eliminate 'locality' in clean water production and business!
(Baonghean.vn) - The quality of clean water for daily use continues to be a "hot" issue, causing doubts and worries for users, especially in Vinh City and surrounding areas.
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| The Director of Song Lam Water Supply Company Limited said that the reduction in water purchases by Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company has caused difficulties for the unit. Photo: Dao Tuan |
Going back in time, around 2014 - 2015, we went to the local area to write about this issue. At that time, people in Vinh City and surrounding areas were very upset because the Dao River (where Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company placed the Cau Bach and Cau Muou pumping stations to pump raw water to factories producing domestic water) was seriously polluted. The reason is that the entire Dao River, from Ba-ra Nam Dan down to the pumping stations, runs through many residential areas, livestock farms, vegetable growing areas, rice fields, etc. While people in these areas still lack awareness, "innocently" have activities that discharge waste, causing pollution such as personal hygiene, laundry, dumping household waste, livestock waste, pesticide residues, etc. into the Dao River. After the press warned, authorities and all levels of government stepped in to protect and prevent pollution of the Dao River's water source. At the same time, the province has called on investors to build pumping stations and pipeline systems to directly supply raw water from Lam River to Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company for production...
Therefore, the first thing my colleague (Journalist Dao Tuan) and I determined was whether or not Dao River water was used to produce clean water for daily use as people reported. For two consecutive nights, at exactly 11pm, we went up to Nam Dan to "stand by" at the Bach and Muou Bridge pumping stations, to come to the conclusion that the people's reports were correct; raw water pumping activities were organized late at night, lasting until dawn the next day...
From here, we seek the answer to the question: Why did Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company dare to go against the request of the Provincial People's Committee, producing clean water from the raw water source of Song Dao River, which could potentially affect people's health? And the answer has been revealed: Due to the conflict of interests between the raw water supplier - Song Lam Water Supply Company Limited and the clean water production enterprise - Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company.
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| Reporter Nhat Lan talks with technical staff of Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company. Photo: Dao Tuan |
As for Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company, to protect its interests, it sought to prove that the total investment in building the pumping station and pipeline system of Song Lam Water Supply One Member Co., Ltd. was not as high as the number announced by this enterprise (496 billion VND); thereby affirming the cost of one meter of water.3Raw water is only 925 VND (including depreciation and bank interest). While Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company is having to buy at 1,950 VND/m3… The operator of Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company even bluntly said: “Previously, the company was 100% state-owned, but when it became a joint stock company, the shareholders did not agree...”. Meanwhile, Song Lam Water Supply Company Limited was the investor that the province attracted and called for to build a pumping station and a pipeline system to bring raw water directly from Song Lam to supply Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company for production. Therefore, when Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company stopped taking raw water (from 10pm the previous day to 6am the next day, the average water consumption decreased from 86,000m3/day and night about 58,000m3/day and night), affected financially, they "accused" Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company of taking water from Dao River...
Along with verifying that Song Lam Water Supply Company Limited and Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company are having a fierce conflict of interests, we have sought to prove that the quality of Song Dao water source is not guaranteed; the state management work in the appraisal of raw water and domestic water samples is not yet guaranteed; the compliance with the law on water resources of Song Lam Water Supply Company Limited and Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company is not yet strict... From there, we have built a special topic.“Eliminate the “local” nature in clean water production and business!”.The topic consists of 3 articles, following the theme set out by the Editorial Board. In addition to clarifying the issues, it also conveys the message to the 2 businesses: it is necessary to respect the law, harmonize the common interests of the people - the state - businesses, and must pay top priority to ensuring the health of the people.
The topic “Eliminating the “localism” in clean water production and trading” was then used by Nghe An Newspaper in both print and online publications. Although it was born in a context where many newspapers were interested in learning and conveying information, this was a series of articles that clarified the nature of the “conflicts”. As some officials who were directed by the competent authority to participate in resolving the case after reading the entire series of articles commented: Fair, objective, not influenced by businesses. That is what a Party newspaper must be!