Access to clean water…
"Every citizen has the right to access clean water for daily life. However, the reality is that although Nghi An commune has been recognized as having completed the advanced new rural area, in terms of clean water criteria, it is still... in debt" - Chairman of Nghi An Commune People's Committee Chu Van Mai said.
Discuss the issueclean water for daily lifeIn Vinh city, after reading the article “After 16 years of returning to Vinh city, Nghi An commune has only 42/2346 households using tap water” published in Nghe An electronic newspaper on September 19, 2024, a colleague “felt sorry” and then lamented: “We also had a reportage, but it was like water off a duck’s back. People seem to have no right to access clean water…”
Hearing about people's right to access clean water, I remember the minutes of the meeting between Nghi An Commune People's Committee and Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company on May 29, 2024.
The story is that in the process of learning about the difficult situation of clean water for daily life in Nghi An commune, the local government leaders provided us with many documents, including the minutes "On the provision of clean water in Nghi An commune".
In this record, Nghi An Commune People's Committee cited criterion No. 18 on the quality of living environment (National criteria set for advanced new rural areas in the period of 2021 - 2025 issued by the Government in Decision No. 318/QD-TTg dated March 8, 2022) stipulating the rate of households using clean water according to standards from the centralized water supply system, thereby requesting Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company to commit to signing contracts and installing water supply for 1,420 households by the end of December 2024, equivalent to about 60% of households in the whole area.
The minutes "On the provision of clean water in Nghi An commune" have the signature and seal of the representative of Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company, showing their agreement to implement the commitment. However, there is concern because the People's Committee of Nghi An commune cited the criteria for advanced new rural areas, requesting that 60% of households be provided with clean water services, is it in line with the spirit that all people have the right to access clean water for daily life? Because there is a feeling that after 16 years of being "integrated" into Vinh city, Nghi An people still do not really have the "name and status" of citizens of a type I urban area, and are limited in their right to access clean water - an extremely essential commodity in life!
Therefore, contact and tell the Chairman of Nghi An Commune People's Committee Chu Van Mai about your concerns. According to Mr. Mai, the commune government understands that all people have the right to access clean water for daily life. However, the reality is that although Nghi An commune has been recognized as having completed the advanced new rural area, it is still... in debt regarding the clean water criteria. Therefore, the commune government sets a target corresponding to the advanced new rural area criteria for Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company to commit to completing, not with the intention of restricting people's access to clean water.
He explained and then said sadly: “Actually, they have not implemented this target yet, while 2024 is only 3 months away. I just called and they said that the system needs to be upgraded, because the current system cannot meet the demand…”.
Hesitating for a few seconds, he continued: "But they answered like that, but the water in Nghi An is already in the pipeline system, the water pressure can reach the second and third floors...".
From the discussions of the Chairman of Nghi An Commune People's Committee in contact with the Department of Construction - the Standing Office of the Provincial Clean Water Safety Committee. According to the representative, all people must be guaranteed the right to access clean water. Therefore, since 2020, the Provincial People's Committee has issued documents directing the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to develop water supply plans and sign agreements on implementing water supply services with water supply units in the area.
As for the Department of Construction, it has also issued documents guiding the implementation and repeatedly urged implementation. Recently, when it learned about the shortcomings in the provision of water services by water supply units in the districts, especially in Vinh city and surrounding areas, the Department continued to issue documents urging the People's Committees of districts, cities, towns and water supply units to implement the direction of the Provincial People's Committee.
This person further explained: “According to Article 31, Decree 117/2007/ND-CP of the Government, the water supply service agreement is a legal document between the district-level People's Committee and the water supply unit providing water supply services in the area. The agreement document will stipulate the contents that must be implemented between the water supply unit and the district-level People's Committee, which will be the basis for implementing supervision, inspection, and handling when the water supply unit does not implement the service conditions as prescribed, to ensure the rights of the people...”.
Listening to what the representative of the Standing Office of the Provincial Clean Water Safety Committee discussed, I understood that there was some "problem" between the Vinh City People's Committee and Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company, so they had not signed an agreement on water supply services. I suddenly remembered the case of Le Van Sau's household in Kim Chi flower and ornamental plant village (Nghi An) - who has used Facebook and petitioned for many years to get his family tap water service. And I thought, shouldn't other households in Nghi An commune also do the same as Mr. Le Van Sau?
