Pù Duộc - a village "thirsty" for water.

(Baonghean) - As one of the resettlement villages for the Hua Na Hydropower Plant, the people of Pu Duoc (Dong Van commune, Que Phong district) moved to a new settlement in April 2012. The village has 45 households with 189 people, all of whom are of the Thai ethnic group. Just 3 days after moving to the new location, a water shortage occurred, and this situation has lasted for more than 2 years.

Sometimes the water supply is cut off for 6-7 consecutive days, causing hardship for the villagers due to the lack of water. Currently, the water supply infrastructure throughout the village is damaged and has not been repaired. Some wells are also dry. The lack of clean water is causing many difficulties for the villagers in their daily lives. To obtain water, some households located in lower areas have to use ropes to draw water from streams or install pipelines to bring water from other sources to the village. For households in higher areas, fetching water is even more difficult. Mr. Lang Van Phan's family had to spend 1.8 million VND to buy a water pump. Sympathizing with everyone's situation, he has allowed other households in the village to share the water supply.

With the wells running dry, people have to scoop up muddy water bucket by bucket.

This is not just a problem for Pù Duộc village, but also for many other villages in the Hủa Na Hydropower Resettlement Project such as Pù Khoóng, Nậm Hinh, Lốc village, etc. Water shortages are widespread. People in these villages have to find their own ways to obtain water for their daily lives.

The root cause of this problem is that the design and construction of the project were not suitable for the terrain conditions of the resettlement area. The gravity-fed water supply system was built far from the water source, making management and repair difficult when the pipelines are damaged. The head of Pù Duộc village, Mr. Lang Văn Pháo, said: "When the investor comes, the water comes with them. No measures have been taken to improve and end the current chronic water shortage."

Compared to the time when the Hua Na Hydropower Project was first launched, Dong Van today has undergone many changes. The previously rough roads, riddled with potholes, have been upgraded, partially addressing transportation needs… However, there are still unresolved issues that continue to cause difficulties for the local people. It is necessary to take immediate measures to address these problems so that the people of Pu Duoc and the resettlement villages can have a better life. Hopefully, the water will “stay” with the people and not “follow the investor” anymore!

Ha An