Focusing on investment in rural clean water program

​The centralized water supply station in Xuan My Commune (Cam My District) ensures clean water for the people. Photo: Phan Anh  

In the coming period, investment in rural clean water is expected to be a breakthrough task in building an advanced new rural area and model new rural area of Dong Nai.

Difficulties due to need of a large fund

According to the report by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on the results of implementation of the rural clean water target, from 2016, 100% of the rural population of Dong Nai have access to hygienic drinking water; the rate of rural kindergartens, high schools and commune health stations with sufficient clean water according to Regulation 02 reaches 100%; and the rate of population with clean water according to Regulation 02 reaches 60%. Up to now, the rate of rural population in the province using clean water according to the Regulation 02 has reached over 80.6%, exceeding the target set out in the Resolution.

However, this program needs a large fund for investment, causing difficulties for many localities in implementation. In particular, many projects on rural clean water supply are slow in implementation due to the need for large capital sources while the funding sources allocated for clean water supply projects have not met the planning needs; many localities find it difficult to mobilize businesses to invest capital and so on.

Talking about the difficulties in investing in a project for clean water in a remote commune in rural areas, Mr. Pham Thanh Dong, Director of Quyet Tien Agriculture - Trade - Service Cooperative (Xuan My Commune, Cam My District) pointed out, the most difficult problem when investing in a water supply project in rural areas is the sparse population, the demand for water per household is less than that of an urban household, so the cost of investment in infrastructure is very high, resulting in the high price of water. Meanwhile, it will be a big problem for rural people if charged the same price as that of the urban area. In addition, the fact that many water supply stations are not operating at full capacity has all caused water costs to soar. However, the State is really interested in investing in the rural clean water program, so even people in remote communes no longer have difficulty due to lack of clean water for use. Specifically, Xuan My Commune centralized water supply station has just been invested in upgrading a number of key pipelines and strengthening a number of water supply wells and some filter stations. Prior to upgrading, the station provided water to more than 1.4 thousand households; after upgrading, the number increases to more than 1.5 thousand households. It is expected to increase the supply of water to more than 1.7 thousand households during the next time.

 

The centralized water supply station in Xuan My Commune (Cam My District) ensures clean water for the people. Photo: Phan Anh 

Up to now, the whole province has 82 rural clean water supply works in operation with a total design capacity of 55,227 m³/ day and night and actual water supply capacity of 28,471m³/ day and night, providing water for about 204,918 people. In the 2016-2020 period, the province has invested, repaired, upgraded and completed 19 centralized water supply projects with a total design capacity of about 11,552 m³/ day and night, supplying water to about 104,913 people, with the total implementation cost of over 234 billion VND.

 

Particularly in 2020, the whole province will have 2 clean water projects completed and put into use with a design capacity of 10.6 thousand m³ day/ night. The localities have mobilized water supply units to connect and expand from the urban water supply pipeline and the centralized rural water supply stations with a length of over 454.5 km of distributed pipes. In addition, the whole province currently has 6 water supply projects under construction with a total design capacity of over 33.8 thousand m³ day/ night; 8 projects in the preparation stage with a total design capacity of 22.3 thousand m³ day/ night. In addition, the province has supported the installation of nearly 4,000 sets of individual water purification devices for households. As a result, the proportion of the rural population in the province using clean water according to the Ministry of Health's Regulation 02 is increasing. An important goal in the construction program of advanced new rural area and model new rural area of Dong Nai is that most of the rural people have access to clean water.

 

Dinh Quan is a district with the most difficulties in the province because over the years, the people in many remote communes has always faced the difficulty of water shortage for daily use when the dry season comes. According to Chairman of People's Committee of Dinh Quan District Tran Quang Tu, in the coming time, the district is expected to focus on investing in rural clean water projects. The good news is that in 2020, the water supply project for Phu Vinh, Phu Lam, Phu Loi Communes, after many years of delay due to difficulties in capital, has been started and is expected to come into operation soon. In 2021, the district plans to continue starting the water supply project for 3 communes Ngoc Dinh, Phu Ngoc and La Nga. When these projects are completed and put into use, the difficulty of water shortage in the dry season for many years will be solved. The district is also actively supporting ethnic minority households, poor households, and families under preferential treatment policy to install home water purification devices, to meet the goal of rural clean water in building new rural areas.

Phan Anh