Billions of dong spent on water plants, but Hanoi still thirsty for clean water

Despite the great efforts by the city’s authorities to build water supply plants, the Hanoians’ thirst for clean water has not been eased.

Clean water getting more expensive than ever

The latest survey conducted by the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that 104 water supply plants have been implemented in the suburbs, but many of them still cannot provide clean water to local dwellers, especially in Ba Vi, Chuong My, Phu Xuyen, Soc Son and My Duc districts.

Therefore, people here have been using rainwater or the water from streams and lakes nearby for their daily use. In some communes, people have to sell rice to buy water.

“Clean water in rural areas has become a very expensive commodity,” commented Deputy Chair of the Chang Son Commune People’s Committee.

According to Le Van Duong, Director of the Center for Water and Sanitation in Rural Areas, 84 percent of households in rural areas, or 3.3 million people, now can use hygienic water, while 32 percent of population can access the clean water that meets the Ministry of Health’s standards.

In fact, only two percent of people in rural areas can use clean water from the urban water supply system, mostly in the districts of Thanh Tri and Tu Liem. The other 7.9 percent of people use water from rural concentrated water supply systems. Meanwhile, 74.1 percent of people is applying the “self-sufficiency” policy.

The water sources for the 74.1 percent are getting exhausted, since the ponds, lakes and streams in rural areas have been seriously polluted.

50 percent of the rural concentrated water supply stations in Ung Hoa, Dong Anh, Thanh Tri, Tu Liem and Chuong My have been found as having the ammonia concentration exceeding the allowed level by 1.2-4.8 times. 12 stations have been found as having the KMnO4 oxidation, 12 stations having the turbidity, PH and higher colifom contents much higher than the allowed levels.

As for the small water supply works at households, the contents of iron, arsenic are higher by 2-10 times higher than the allowed levels.

Who will take responsibility for clean water for people?
Nguyen Van Son, a resident in Duong Lieu commune, said he has been taking water from a well for the last many years, even though his house is located next to the water supply station.

According to Duong, the percentage of people in rural areas using clean water in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s standards has increased by 0.65 percent per annum only over the last few years (20,000 users more a year).

In early 2011, the Hanoi People’s Committee kicked off the program to rescue 16 water supply stations which had been left idle in the suburb districts, while giving the go-ahead for six inter-commune water supply works.

However, the projects have been going very slowly, and only three out of the 16 projects have been put into operation. The other 13 projects have not been completed, partially because the investors and local authorities meet difficulties in accessing preferential loans stipulated in the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 131.

The representatives of relevant departments have suggested to clarify the responsibilities of the authorities levels in implementing water supply works.

Hanoi’s Deputy Mayor Tran Xuan Viet was very critical at the working session with the officials from relevant branches when mentioning the implementation of water supply projects in suburb areas. He has requested the localities – beneficiaries from the inter-commune water supply works to submit investment plans for approval prior to October 25, 2012.

VietnamNet