Thanh Duc (Thanh Chuong): Wasteful spending on billion-dollar projects.
Outraged that the massive pumping station, built with funding from Government Decree 135/CP, has been inaugurated and put into use for many years without being effective, resulting in waste and difficulties for people's production, voters in Thanh Duc commune (Thanh Chuong district) have repeatedly petitioned, and Nghe An Newspaper also published an article reflecting on this issue a few years ago, but to this day, the situation remains unresolved…
(Baonghean)Outraged that the massive pumping station, built with funding from Government Decree 135/CP, has been inaugurated and put into use for many years without being effective, resulting in waste and difficulties for people's production, voters in Thanh Duc commune (Thanh Chuong district) have repeatedly petitioned, and Nghe An Newspaper also published an article reflecting on this issue a few years ago, but to this day, the situation remains unresolved…
The N1 canal system - Cau Sen Pumping Station project includes 596m of iron pipeline designed to be approximately 1.5m above ground level supported by a system of sturdy concrete pillars, and 885m of concrete canal. These are newly constructed items funded by the Government's 135 Phase 2 capital to complete the irrigation canal system of the Cau Sen Pumping Station, which was built in 2002 at a cost of approximately 1.3 billion VND. The project was invested in by Thanh Chuong district and completed and handed over to Thanh Duc commune in 2007.
However, apart from a single trial run, the project has never been put into operation because the Tray stream (where the upstream pumping station is located) has very little water, and there is no water during droughts. The iron pipeline system running across the fields has caused difficulties for the people's production, so the people of Thanh Duc commune have repeatedly petitioned for its removal, but the authorities at all levels have yet to resolve the issue. According to our observations, due to being exposed to rain and sun for so long without operation, the iron in the pipeline shows signs of peeling and rust, while the concrete ditch system is almost completely filled with garbage and weeds.
The iron canal system lies exposed to the elements, its surface peeling and rusting.
Regarding this issue, the leaders of Thanh Duc commune said that, according to the initial plan, the Cau Sen pumping station consisted of two units, drawing water from the Tray stream, and was put into operation in 2007 to irrigate 35 hectares of rice and other crops on the left bank of the stream. However, to date, only one unit is operational, serving to irrigate 7 hectares of rice belonging to two households, Mr. Tam and Mr. Dai in Hamlet 5. Based on the current state of the project and the wishes of the people, the Thanh Duc commune government has repeatedly petitioned the district to transfer the iron pipeline system to another commune in need, and in fact, many communes have registered. Thanh Chuong district has also sent a document requesting opinions from relevant departments on the liquidation of the N1 irrigation canal of the Cau Sen pumping station in Thanh Duc commune.
On February 4, 2013, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Official Letter No. 271 stating: “Since its handover, the N1 canal has not been operated because the agricultural land intended for irrigating rice and other crops has been used for tea and other short-term industrial crops… We request that the Thanh Chuong District People's Committee direct relevant departments and the Thanh Duc Commune People's Committee to advise the people in the beneficiary area to use the N1 canal - Cau Sen pumping station to supply water for irrigating tea and other short-term industrial crops, as these crops also require irrigation water to ensure productivity and quality.” The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also requested that the Thanh Chuong District People's Committee “mobilize internal resources to complete the N1 canal system, such as investing in branch canals and centralized reservoirs, to ensure irrigation for short-term industrial crops…”.
However, according to the leaders of Thanh Duc commune, the problem is not about what type of crops are being irrigated, but rather that the Tray stream – the source of the Cau Sen pumping station – lacks water, making it impossible to operate the irrigation system effectively. This has been proven in practice since the pumping station was built. This is also the main reason why this multi-billion VND project has been left idle for many years. Furthermore, according to the people, tea plants need to be irrigated using a sprinkler system, not a flood irrigation system like rice. Recently (March 11, 2013), Thanh Chuong district also held a meeting with the Thanh Duc commune government, with the participation of organizations and people's representatives, to discuss measures to address the Cau Sen pumping station issue.
The upstream pumping station has no water.
According to Ms. Dau Thi Oanh, Chairwoman of the Thanh Duc Commune Farmers' Association, "the majority of opinions agree with the proposal that competent authorities should soon find a definitive solution to the people's wishes. If renovation is not possible, the facility should be dismantled and transferred to other communes in need to avoid wasting state funds and to facilitate people's production." The concluding document by Mr. Phan Dinh Ha, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Chuong District People's Committee, at the meeting affirmed: "Resolving the outstanding issues of the Cau Sen Pumping Station is a crucial and urgent matter."
However, "careful consideration is needed during the process, avoiding subjective and hasty decisions." According to this conclusion, in order to have a basis for submission to higher authorities for resolution, Thanh Chuong district will conduct a survey of water sources, determine the water supply capacity for the pumping station for all three seasons of the year (spring, summer-autumn, and winter); survey the water needs of the people, including irrigation for tea, sugarcane, and vegetables in low-lying areas; and gather public opinions before and during the construction of the Cau Sen pumping station and the N1 canal system. After completing the survey of water sources and irrigation needs, the district will advise the People's Committee to "discuss" the next steps.
The prolonged state of disuse at the Cau Sen pumping station and the N1 railway canal system (never operated since 2007) has been a source of public concern and numerous complaints and petitions from the media. It remains unclear how much longer the Thanh Chuong district authorities will have to hold meetings before finding a solution.
Khanh Ly
