Eliminate the ideology of "no one cries for public property" in self-flowing water projects
(Baonghean) - After the State invested, most of the self-flowing water supply works in mountainous districts were assigned to communes and villages for management. However, due to many reasons, the works were damaged, lacked water sources, and had no funds for repairs.
In Nghe An province, there are currently 512 rural water supply works concentrated in 17 districts, of which only 105 works are evaluated as operating effectively, 171 works are operating averagely, 105 works are operating inefficiently and 131 works have stopped operating. Reality shows that where there is a good management mechanism, the works are more durable, on the contrary, where the works are not managed, they quickly deteriorate and people lack water.
Effective in Con Cuong, Tuong Duong
In 2015, when Tuong Duong district invested in a self-flowing water system, handing it over to Thach Giam commune for management, 106 households in Cay Me village and other villages in Thach Giam commune were very excited when clean water reached their households, without any cost. However, after a while, without any repair, the water supply system deteriorated, water flowed freely, the valve system was damaged, while the village's fund was low, and repairs and maintenance were not done regularly. In addition, some households in high places lacked water for use.
Faced with this situation, the commune has repeatedly proposed to the district to discuss effective water management methods to ensure that 100% of households have access to clean water. By the end of 2017, the district decided to assign the management to enterprises and collect clean water fees from all households using water.
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| The management and exploitation of the water supply system in the highlands of Nghe An still has many shortcomings. (In the photo: The public water system is damaged so people do not have clean water for daily use; Every day, people in the highlands have to carry cans of water from the stream for daily use. Photo: Lu Phu - Dao Tho. |
Cay Me and Phong villages were assigned to Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company, Tuong Duong branch, for direct investment, management and fee collection. Mon village was assigned to Truong Vinh Company Limited for investment and management. After receiving the assignment, the companies focused on investment, each village built 1 filter tank and 1 storage tank, and water pipes from the upstream of Khe dam under their management.
Households only have to buy wires to bring home and have to pay a fee of 2,500 VND/m.3At the same time, the district actively promotes to help people understand the importance of using clean water and the convenience of being proactive in water sources.
Since taking the initiative in water sources, households in the village have been conscious of preserving water, not letting water flow freely in tanks like before, valves and faucets are focused on buying quality products for use. All activities of the people are more convenient.
In 2007, Lien Dinh village, Chi Khe commune (Con Cuong) also received investment from the State to build a self-flowing domestic water project, with 9 community water tanks. At each water tank, there is an on/off valve installed, a yard, and a bathroom for washing for the villagers. During use, due to the awareness of some people, some equipment was damaged, and in addition, there was no drainage system at the water tanks, so the wastewater stagnated, causing public hygiene problems. Especially, during the hot season, people coming home from work gather at the water tanks to bathe, wash, etc., leading to a situation of fighting and jostling.
In that reality, the Party cell and the Village Management Board held a meeting with the people to find the most effective way to use water resources. The Party cell agreed that households should invest in installing a water supply system to each house, which would both reduce crowding and raise awareness of protecting the project, ensuring a clean water source. To realize that idea, the Party cell mobilized people to contribute 300,000 - 1,000,000 VND per household.
Since then, in Chi Khe (Con Cuong), the self-flowing water system has been well managed, making the village's daily life convenient and clean. Over 400 households in 6 villages: Nam Dinh Lien Dinh, Trung Dinh, Son Khe, Tong Chai and Bai Van always have clean water. The village chief and the organizations in the village and hamlet have promoted the project to the people, so the project has been effective. The water source is abundant, and people do not have to carry water like before.
The 6 villages mentioned above have 415 households, up to now 403 households have installed water supply systems to their homes. The commune has established a Management Board with the Vice Chairman as the head of the board, in coordination with village chiefs as members. When we visited the houses of the villagers, they were very excited, the clear water from the stream to their homes was comfortable for everyone to use.
Many buildings soon deteriorated.
The clean water system in Chau Thanh commune, Quy Hop district is one of the projects built under the National Target Program on clean water and rural environmental sanitation, with a total investment of more than 3.2 billion VND with the purpose of providing clean water to 425 Thai households in 3 villages: Trung Thanh, Tien Thanh and Co.
However, after completion in 2014, after only 1 year of operation, the project had to be "covered" and left exposed to the sun and rain. Currently, 31 water tanks and public bathrooms are abandoned. The pipeline system is damaged and has been collected by the people for preservation.
When the clean water project was first completed, the people were very happy, but sadly, after only one year of use, it was degraded and damaged.
The project uses spring water from Co village, however the water only reaches a few upstream tanks and there is no water to use below.
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| People in Cay Me village, Thach Giam commune (Con Cuong) take initiative in water source for daily life. Photo: May Huyen - Ba Hau |
In the mountainous commune of Chau Tien, Quy Chau district, from 2011 to 2017, the commune had 6 rounds of investment of approximately 20 billion VND from the State to construct new and maintain and repair domestic water works for the people. However, according to the reflection of households, after the clean water works were put into operation, people could only use the water source intermittently, then stopped using it. Since then, many items of the works have been degraded, the machinery and water filtration system cannot operate, the water pipes leading to people's houses have been severely damaged, stolen...
Quy Chau district has 12 communes and towns, almost each commune and town has 1 to 2 self-flowing water works. In Chau Binh commune, the clean water system was handed over at the end of 2012, this system has provided water to 500 households and 3 schools in the area. However, people have not enjoyed it for long, now this work is damaged and degraded, the water source cannot be supplied to households. Without clean water, people in Binh 1 village, Chau Binh commune have to go to the stream to carry water.
In other mountainous districts such as Que Phong and Ky Son, due to many reasons, including lack of management, many water works are damaged...
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| After a period of use, many buildings have now deteriorated and are no longer usable. Photo: Ba Hau |
Nghe An has 457 self-flowing water supply works, most of which are invested from the budget. The main water source uses surface water from streams, supplying water to each village or many villages with a flow rate of 100 to 200m3/day and night, water is mainly treated by a sedimentation system with sand and gravel layers, no chemical treatment is performed, water is led to public tanks to supply water to residential areas and mainly concentrated in mountainous districts such as Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, Que Phong, Quy Chau, Quy Hop...
During use, the quality of constructions has degraded, along with complex terrain and low awareness of people, so water resources are being wasted.
Part of the reason is that the authorities at all levels have not yet taken part in management and maintenance, plus the awareness of the local people that the water system is free, so they do not join hands to protect and exploit it. The problem is that the people need to contribute funds and assign responsibility to businesses or cooperatives to manage and exploit the system in the best way.
Currently, there are 5 self-flowing water projects that collect water fees and operate well: In Chi Khe commune (Con Cuong), each household currently pays 10,000 VND per month and the people are "satisfied". In Tuong Duong, people in some localities are using self-flowing water at a price of 2,500 VND/m3(not too high, but in a locality where 85% of households depend entirely on farming, with unstable income, the villagers hope to reduce it to 2,000 VND/m3).
