The land of 'leprosy' eagerly awaits electricity

(Baonghean.vn)- Once home to families with leprosy patients, Pha Day is considered an "oasis", isolated from the outside world by rocky mountains.Until now, people in this area are still waiting for the light of the electricity grid.

We entered Pha Day village, Chau Binh commune (Quy Chau) on a day at the end of June. The sun was blazing hot, the surrounding limestone ranges radiated heat, making the air even hotter.

Near noon, people returned from the sugarcane fields, sweating profusely, everyone was exhausted, the first thing they did was find a fan to dispel the surrounding heat.

Pha Day is like an oasis in Chau Binh, isolated from the whole region by the overlapping rocky mountains, located about 6 km from the commune center. Previously, to get to Pha Day, you had to climb over the cliffs by wooden ladders, the path was dangerous and steep, this was the residence of families with people suffering from leprosy.

Now the road to Pha Day has been paved, life has begun to change, but because it is quite far from the center and the population is sparse, the Electricity industry has not yet allocated capital to invest in building a national grid system to the village.

The biggest dream of the people of Pha Day village (Chau Binh) is to have electricity to light up and use electric fans to dispel the heat, no longer having to use bamboo fans. Photo: Cong Kien

As soon as he stepped up the stairs, Mr. Luong Van Hoa immediately reached up to the wall and pulled out a bamboo fan, fanning himself with both hands until the sweat on his face dried. Only then did Mr. Hoa regain his strength to chat with the guests: “If only there was electricity, all I had to do was press a button and the heat and fatigue would go away. Fanning like this is very tiring, and in this hot weather, I can’t get a good night’s sleep.”

In the kitchen, Mrs. Luong Thi Thu - Mr. Binh's wife also started to light a fire to cook lunch. It was hot outside, but inside the house, the fire made the atmosphere even more stuffy and stuffy.

On the pillar of Mr. Luong Van Binh's house, there is always a rechargeable lamp, which is used for lighting at night. Every 2-3 days, he has to walk 7km to his relative's house in the center of the commune to ask for a charger for the lamp, this task alone takes a lot of time. Moreover, it causes inconvenience to both himself and the homeowner, so the rechargeable lamp must be used sparingly, usually at mealtimes and when necessary.

Ms. Vi Thi Duyet - Head of the village said that Pha Day has 42 Thai households living scattered at the foot of the mountain, most of them are poor households, their lives still face many difficulties, including the lack of electricity. Summer is the most difficult and arduous time in Pha Day, the reason is that there is no electricity grid, greatly affecting daily life and production.

The entire Quy Chau district currently has 39 villages without electricity. People have to use mini hydroelectric power plants, rechargeable lamps and kerosene lamps for lighting. Some households use flashlights. Photo courtesy

The air is hot and stuffy, people have to use hand-woven baskets made of bamboo or leaves to ward off the heat. Regarding lighting, most people are using kerosene lamps, only a few families have the conditions to use rechargeable lamps, children in the village have to study at night and face many difficulties, and audio and visual equipment is also limited.

“More than ever, people here hope to soon have electricity to broaden their horizons and enjoy conveniences in daily life and production” - Head of Pha Day village shared.

According to the report of the People's Committee of Quy Chau district, up to now, the whole district still has 39 villages (about 2,220 households, accounting for about 16%) that have not used grid electricity. Of which, the most is Chau Phong (14 villages), followed by Dien Lam (8 villages), Chau Hoan (5 villages), Chau Binh (5 villages), Chau Hoi (4 villages), Chau Hanh (1 village), Chau Thuan (1 village), Chau Binh (1 village).

Meanwhile, according to the Prime Minister's direction, by 2020, people in all villages and hamlets across the country must have access to the national grid, which means the deadline is very close.

People in Pha Day and 38 other villages in Quy Chau district hope to soon enjoy the source of "civilized light" to improve their lives and escape poverty and backwardness. Photo: Cong Kien

Discussing this issue, Mr. Truong Quang Dinh - Director of Quy Chau Electricity said: "The project of the Electricity sector is divided into two phases, phase 1 from 2016 - 2017 to bring grid electricity to communes without electricity has been completed. Phase 2 from 2018 - 2020 to bring electricity to the remaining villages is in the process of surveying for implementation".

Hopefully the Electricity industry will finish on time, so that the people of Pha Day and the remaining 38 villages in Quy Chau district can enjoy the source of "civilized light".

Cong Kien