Nghia Dan is struggling with the water treatment plant project.
Despite significant investment aimed at ensuring a clean water supply for production and daily life, the water treatment plant in Nghia Dan district is still nowhere to be seen after more than 10 years since its commencement.
Urgent need
In 2007, Nghia Dan district was officially divided into Thai Hoa town and Nghia Dan district. Accordingly, the new Nghia Dan district moved its district center to Nghia Binh commune (formerly the 1/5 agricultural farm). Since the division, Nghia Dan district has received significant investment in infrastructure to support its socio-economic development. The construction of a clean water plant is one of the top priorities.
Specifically, on May 29, 2009, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2317/QD.UBND-CN allowing the establishment of an investment project for the construction of the Nghia Dan District Water Treatment Plant. On October 18, 2012, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 4041/QD.UBND-DTXD, approving the investment project for the construction of the Nghia Dan District Water Treatment Plant. This project is invested by the Nghia Dan District People's Committee with a total investment of over 100 billion VND. The project is implemented in Nghia Binh commune, with a capacity of 5,000 m³.3Day and night, this promises to ensure the supply of clean water to meet the development needs of the new district center of Nghia Dan district and its surrounding areas.
According to the design, this project includes the following components: a primary pumping station and a raw water supply pipeline from the Sao River reservoir to the treatment area; and a treatment area with a capacity of 5,000 m³.3/day and night over an area of 13,263.77m²2The water supply network includes transmission and distribution pipelines, service lines, and connections to households.
In 2013, the Nghia Dan District Water Treatment Plant project officially commenced construction. The people of Nghia Dan rejoiced at the prospect of using clean water, replacing their previously contaminated groundwater sources. However, after a period of construction, with only two buildings and two raw water storage tanks completed, the project was... halted.
Upon arriving at the project site, we observed that, on the large plot of land, besides the already constructed and abandoned structures, the area was covered in weeds. Because there was no protective fence, the area became an ideal place for locals to graze their cattle.
Upon inquiring with a local resident living near the project, it was learned that construction began with great fanfare in 2013, but stopped after only a few sections were completed.
Struggling to do it
After being stalled for too long, the Nghia Dan District Water Treatment Plant construction project received approval from the Provincial People's Committee to convert its investment form from public to public-private partnership under a BOT (build-operate-transfer) contract, as stated in Official Letter 7761/UBND-DTXD dated October 29, 2015. On November 24, 2015, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 1721/QĐ-UBND.CNMT approving the proposal for the Nghia Dan Water Treatment Plant construction project under the BOT model.
Following the announcement of the plan for the construction of a new water treatment plant, and the approval of the feasibility study report for the project by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision 5533/QD-UBND dated November 8, 2016, the Nghia Dan District People's Committee began issuing a public tender for the project in 2017. By early 2018, a contractor had been selected to carry out the project.
During the pre-qualification process, only the consortium of HQ Environmental Technology and Investment Consulting Joint Stock Company and Construction and Business Development Joint Stock Company purchased and submitted the bid. Immediately afterwards, this consortium officially became the investor for the Nghia Dan Water Treatment Plant construction project.
According to our findings, since 2016, when the policy of converting public investment to the BOT model was implemented, HQ Environmental Technology and Investment Consulting Joint Stock Company was the unit responsible for planning, introducing treatment technology, and surveying the demand for clean water in Nghia Dan district.
According to the plan, the new Nghia Dan district water treatment plant will be built in Hai Binh hamlet, Nghia Binh commune, on a total area of over 2.8 hectares, including a raw water pumping station with a total planned land area of 400 square meters.2This factory has a total installed capacity of 30,000 m³.3/day and night, with a total investment of over 200 billion VND. Phase 1 has a capacity of 15,000 m³.3/day and night, phase 2 completed with a capacity of 30,000 m³3/day and night as designed.
Similar to the previous project, this plant is expected to supply water to Nghia Dan town, surrounding areas, and industrial projects, clusters, and zones in the area. The project implementation period is 2 years. In addition to locating the plant in a new site near the Sao River lake, this new project will also utilize the infrastructure from the previous project.
Despite high expectations, nearly 10 years after being granted permission to change its investment form, the Nghia Dan Water Treatment Plant construction project remains stalled.
It needs to be resolved completely.
While the Nghia Dan District Water Treatment Plant's completion date remains unknown, local residents are still forced to use unsanitary well water. This is especially true in Nghia Dan town, a densely populated area with many offices, businesses, and residential communities, where people continue to rely on well water.
Upon further investigation, we learned that on September 7, 2016, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 4331/QD-UBND approving the Project for Providing Clean Water in Nghe An Province for the period 2016-2020. Significantly, at the time this project was developed, three out of 21 urban areas did not have access to clean water from the centralized clean water supply system: Nghia Dan town, Kim Son town (Que Phong district), and Hoang Mai town. Decision 4331 also stipulated that Phase 1 of the Nghia Dan Water Treatment Plant construction project under the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model would be completed by 2017, and Phase 2 by 2020.
However, at present, while the water treatment plants in Kim Son town and Hoang Mai district have become operational, in Nghia Dan, the investor is still struggling to choose a location for the raw water input – a crucial factor in starting the project. And it is still uncertain whether this project will be halted or continued.
Mr. Tran Manh Ha, Vice Chairman of the Nghia Dan District People's Committee, stated: Currently, there is no decision to halt the construction of the water treatment plant under the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model or to switch to another model. According to Mr. Ha, the biggest difficulty is obtaining raw water from the Sao River reservoir. If raw water is taken from the Hieu River section in Thai Hoa town (more than 25km away), the cost would be too high. Additionally, there is a plan to connect to the clean water supply of Thai Hoa town, but this has not yet been implemented.
The delay in constructing the water treatment plant in Nghia Dan is a problem that needs to be resolved definitively, especially in the context of the increasingly urgent need for clean water, and alongside Nghia Dan district's efforts to achieve the new rural standard. If this situation persists, it will not only affect daily life but also pose a potential health risk to residents due to the use of water that does not meet safety standards.