Due to water shortages, people in the highlands of Nghe An province have to install water pumps in shallow wells and minimize bathing.
The prolonged heatwave has caused severe water shortages in many mountainous areas. In the Piêng Cu resettlement village, Tiền Phong commune, the water scarcity has lasted for many years, directly affecting the lives and daily activities of the people.
Damaged wells leave 50% of households without access to clean water.
The family of Mr. Luong Van Thuan, residing in Pieng Cu village, is one of the households most severely affected. In front of his house is a well dug by the Hua Na Hydropower Plant many years ago. However, this well has long since dried up and is no longer usable. Whenever the hot season arrives, his family has to run a plastic pipe hundreds of meters away from their house to pump water from the fields for their daily needs.
"Now we just hope the government will pay attention, either by repairing the old pipeline system previously invested in by the hydropower plant, or by digging deeper wells so that people can have a stable water supply," Mr. Thuan shared.
The water shortage is affecting not just Mr. Thuan's family, but the entire Pieng Cu resettlement village. Leading us on a field survey, Mr. Lo Van Thuy, the head of Pieng Cu village, explained that all 142 households in the village are resettled due to the Hua Na Hydropower Plant Project. Previously, the Hua Na Hydropower Plant invested in 12 water wells and a community water supply system to serve the resettled residents. However, over time, these facilities have seriously deteriorated.
“Currently, four wells are completely dry, and the community water supply system is entirely damaged and unusable. The remaining eight wells have very low water levels, only about 1 meter below the bottom. What's worrying is that at each well, multiple pumps are simultaneously used by households to draw water for daily use, causing the already scarce water source to dry up even faster. Therefore, up to 50% of households in the village lack water for daily use during hot weather,” Mr. Thuy said.
According to the village head of Piêng Cu, after the community's gravity-fed water system broke down, the investor did not carry out repairs but instead dug replacement wells. Each well is about 8 meters deep and nearly 2 meters in diameter. To bring water to their homes, residents have to pay for pumps and install water pipes themselves.
During the current prolonged dry and hot season, the water level in wells drops rapidly. Many households are forced to take turns pumping water and limit the operating time of their pumps to avoid the risk of the wells drying up completely. On some days, there is only enough water for drinking and cooking, while bathing and washing must be minimized.
"This prolonged situation has disrupted daily life, especially for the elderly and young children. We are constantly worried about the wells running dry, not knowing where we will get water tomorrow," a villager said anxiously.
Given the current situation, the residents of the Piêng Cu resettlement village hope that relevant authorities will soon pay attention and implement fundamental solutions to ensure a long-term supply of clean water. In the long term, they propose that the government invest in a new water pipeline, utilizing a stable water source from the Nậm Niên dam, located about 1km from the village, to serve the entire community. "That is a sustainable solution that will help people settle down and stabilize their lives," Mr. Thủy emphasized.
However, while awaiting a long-term solution, residents earnestly request that authorities provide support in drilling new wells or renovating and deepening existing wells to address the urgent need for domestic water during the hot season.
The water supply system will be upgraded.
Mr. Sam Viet Hung, Head of the Economic Department of Tien Phong commune, said that the shortage of clean water in the Pieng Cu resettlement village has lasted for many years. Previously, Que Phong district had supported the commune with 125 million VND to drill wells, but even after drilling to a depth of 100m, no water source was found.
Regarding the water pipeline system from the Nam Nien dam to the village, after the historic flood of 2025, the entire pipeline was completely damaged. At the end of 2025, with support from the Nghe An Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, the commune carried out repairs to the pipeline to serve domestic use and irrigation. However, due to the small size of the pipeline and insufficient water flow, the commune is currently requesting the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee to consider providing 500 million VND to upgrade the system.
"If the Provincial People's Committee provides support, along with the 125 million VND previously allocated by the district, the commune will proceed with upgrading the water pipeline system from the Nam Nien dam to the village to provide water for daily life and production for the people," Mr. Hung said.
The lack of clean water is not just a problem for Pieng Cu village, but a common challenge for many mountainous communities in the context of climate change and increasing extreme weather events. Implementing comprehensive and effective solutions will not only help people overcome immediate difficulties but also contribute to ensuring social welfare and long-term stability for resettled communities in the area.
