After 16 years of merging with Vinh city, Nghi Duc commune has 35 households using tap water.

This is information in Report No. 342/BC-UBND dated August 30, 2024 on the clean water supply progress of Nghi Duc Commune People's Committee sent to Vinh City People's Committee.

Acid sulfate area

After nearly 1 month from the timeNghi Duc Commune People's CommitteeWith Report No. 342/BC-UBND sent to the People's Committee of Vinh City, on September 27, 2024, we went to the locality that used to belong to Nghi Loc district, merged into Vinh City in 2008. We asked Mr. Nguyen Van Hiep, an urban officer of the commune, about the situation of providing clean water for daily life for the people. He replied: "There is still no change. The whole commune still has only 35 households using tap water."

While talking, Mr. Hiep saw a few people entering the office, pointed at one person, and introduced: "Mr. Dung is a citizen of Xuan Duc hamlet. The underground water in that area is contaminated with alum, so he is very concerned about the issue of tap water for daily use...".

In a quick conversation with Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung, he said that on both sides of Su Van Hanh Street where his family lives, the people's need for clean water is very large, almost 100% of households have the need.

The reason is that the groundwater in this area is contaminated with alum. All households have tanks, drill wells to pump groundwater to settling tanks, then let it flow through newly used filtering equipment, but sometimes the water is still yellow, very unsettling.

“I am really not at ease, even though I hire workers every year to clean the tank and replace the filter equipment…” – Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung said. Then he continued that nearly 2 years ago, he went to Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company to submit his application but was rejected, told to submit it at the commune. By this summer, the application was accepted but the tap water was still not used. “Nghi Duc commune was incorporated into the city in 2008 but currently there is still no clean water. Therefore, people are really looking forward to having clean water…” – Mr. Dung presented his own wishes and those of the people of Xuan Duc hamlet.

To confirm that people have a need to use tap water for daily life, we visited some families in Xuan Duc hamlet. The house of Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong's family is adjacent to the traffic road, the other 3 sides are adjacent to low-lying fields. Therefore, her family had to drill a well 50m from the house, then pump underground water to the tank, install a filter on each floor for use.

According to Ms. Huong, her family has had to use underground water for daily activities for the past 3 years, even though the underground water is of poor quality, dirty, contaminated with alum, and sometimes has a foul smell.

Ms. Huong said: “I had planned to hire workers to check and re-drill the well, about a few dozen meters deeper, to get other underground water. However, the commune officials advised us to wait for tap water because it was almost available, so we waited. Up to now, we have asked a few more times and received the same answer several times. There is no other way, so we have to accept using underground water…”.

Asked if Ms. Huong knew about the state-invested clean water pipeline system? She said that she heard the village officials say that it had been installed in front of her house, so she made a file to directly discuss the issue with Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company several times, requesting to install it separately for her family, but was refused. “Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company refused and did not sign a contract even though I agreed to pay the cost. When asked for the reason, the company replied that Nghi Duc commune is currently not yet provided with water…” – Ms. Huong added.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dung - Head of Xuan Duc Hamlet, the whole hamlet has 191 households, and currently they are using underground water for daily activities. Regarding the quality of underground water in Xuan Duc Hamlet, the hamlet head also had similar comments to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung and Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, that it is not guaranteed, dirty, and contaminated with iron.

Hamlet chief Nguyen Ngoc Dung said: “Every household filters the water 3 to 4 times before using it, but they are not assured. But even if they are not assured, they have to use underground water, what else can they do…” At the same time, he said, because they have been waiting for a long time, people have complained to the Hamlet Executive Committee many times; therefore, the Hamlet Executive Committee often has to make recommendations on this issue at the commune’s administrative meetings, or make recommendations to the People’s Councils at all levels...

Until when?

Returning to Report No. 342/BC-UBND dated August 30, 2024 on the clean water supply progress of Nghi Duc Commune People's Committee sent to Vinh City People's Committee, here is the information:“The People's Committee of Nghi Duc Commune and Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company have surveyed the pipelines invested by the City People's Committee (7 routes) to supply water to households. Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company has guided the preparation of installation documents for 3/7 routes including: pipelines along Le Quy Don Street (from 35m to 95m), Xuan Hoa Hamlet welcome gate road, pipelines through Xuan Duc Hamlet Cultural House. However, only 2 routes have been implemented (Le Quy Don Street, Xuan Hoa Hamlet welcome gate road with 35 households). As for the pipeline route through Xuan Duc Cultural House, Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company has not yet installed new ones since summer 2024 (the unit commented due to water shortage), so up to now, no new installations have been made by any households…”.

According to information from Vice Chairman of Nghi Duc Commune People's Committee - Mr. Vo Duy Tri, the whole commune has about more than 1,700 households. Regarding the clean water pipeline system, it was completed in 2023. However, due to the investment being divided into many phases and not being synchronized, water can only be supplied to 7 routes with about more than 300 households; the remaining routes need to be repaired, so the commune is hiring a consulting unit to survey and make a budget estimate to complete the implementation.

Regarding the connection for people to use clean water, the People's Committee of the commune has worked and invited Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company to survey and evaluate the routes that can be connected and supply water; and has determined that water can be supplied in 7 pipelines with more than 300 households. After that, Nghi Duc Commune People's Committee announced that people on 7 routes can make applications, but the commune has only received 25 applications when Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company announced that the water capacity in the summer cannot meet the demand, so the commune has had to stop until now.

Vice Chairman of Nghi Duc Commune People's Committee Vo Duy Tri said: "Tap water for daily life is an urgent issue, people are in dire need of it. Meanwhile, the underground water source in Nghi Duc Commune is not guaranteed. In the near future, there will be many new constructions and projects in the area that will negatively affect the underground water source, so it is necessary to replace the water source soon so that people can use it safely. Nghi Duc Commune People's Committee hopes that the superior agencies will pay attention and give opinions so that Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company can provide water supply services to the people...".