Bring safe water to rural, remote areas

Overcoming the difficulties of the terrain, these recent years, Thai Nguyen province has attempted to bring the safe water pass through forests, over mountains to many rural areas, particularly the water had already reach the communes in ethnic minority living. Bringing clean water to villages with significant contributions made by VBSP’s loan from preferential credit sources, not only promote local economic development but also to change habits of people in mountainous communes.

According to the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Center of Thai Nguyen: The highlights in providing safe water for living in the province recent time is the priority of the People Committee to the construction of some projects to provide safe water in the locality of the isolated, remote, mountainous areas - where ethnic minorities live densely. Since the safe water supplying station built, living habits of many families has changed completely, locals stop using low hygiene water from wells or spring .

At Binh Long commune, Vo Nhai district, where ethnic groups of Tay, Nung, Dao, Cao Lan live and be listed as areas with water problems, water supply works in the province had gone into operation since mid-2009. Over 200 households have preferential credit loans to install water pipes in every home. They really appreciate that and give more and more trust on the policies of the Government. “ We are using the safe water sourced from the commune water supply works. since it has worked, we have been consuming about 10m³/month at the price of 3.500đ/m³, and that is congenial and acceptable with us the mountainous people” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Trinh – resident of Cho hamlet in Binh Long. It is worth knowing that the water quality is so steady that families  can consume daily without having to use filtering devices.

And with Mr. Luong Hong Vinh, the lending from Agribank and VBSP is truly needed. Before, anytime the dry season came, they were always in lack of clean water for the standard living, even for the petty demands. If ever they use the drilled well, they have to reach 30 to 40m of depth to make sure that they could find the water there. However, the water is often polluted. By that conditions, Mr. Vinh’s family has to overcome a long distance through  mountain to obtain water for use, and now, just open the water tap and they get safe water without worrying about hygiene.

The Director of Thai Nguyen VBSP Branch, Mr. Nguyen Van Hao said: “ This results achieved by the promptly foundation of the RWSS program which is suitable for the local rural and mountainous area, being agreed and supported by people, deployment time prescribed, remain a close coordination among VBSP and various governmental levels and sectors, do well the propaganda policies, RWSS credit policies to the farmers and rural areas, for all people to understand and comply with, along with that is the allocation loans to each district, from district to each commune”. Thus, every steps from selection of customers, lending evaluation to construction supervision, acceptance and putting projects into use have the participation of the authority at all levels. This is also a favorable factor in the closely and systematically management of capital for the RWSS program . So far, Thai Nguyen provincial branch of VBSP has disbursed over VND 31 billion for RWSS programs, including investment priorities for the mountainous areas where ethnic people live.

From now until the end of 2010, Thai Nguyen province would strive to provide further 6% of rural population with safe water, raise the rate of households using safe water from 84% to 90%. VBSP continues to play an important role to implement preferential loan program to help improve the quality of life of ethnic minorities in mountainous provinces of Thai Nguyen.

Du Dương