As water sources are becoming scarce in face of the drought, local authorities and residents in some areas in Khanh Son District have sought for water sources and installed water dispensing machines...
As water sources are becoming scarce in face of the drought, local authorities and residents in some areas in Khanh Son District have sought for water sources and installed water dispensing machines known as water ATMs bringing free safe water to locals.
On a muggy summer day, a woman named Bo Bo Thi Chim in Lien Hoa Village, Son Binh Commune, together with other residents patiently waited for turns to get free water in Hamlet 4, Lien Hoa Village. Since Lien Binh - Lien Hoa water supply system ran out of water as the water source has dried up for over 2 months, she had searched for water everywhere and even bought water in cans for daily use. The water dispensing machines installed by Son Binh Commune People’s Committee in Hamlet 4 have helped solve the water scarcity.
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Ta Quoc Phong, Chairman of Son Binh Commune People’s Committee says water shortage has become a growing concern this year. Out of 3 gravity water-supply systems, only Xom Co water system is still in operation during the dry period; Water supply at Ko Lac system is erratic; Lien Binh - Lien Hoa water supply system which serves over 500 households has run out of water.
3 water dispensing machines provide free water for locals in the 2 villages of Lien Binh and Lien Hoa. Besides, another water dispensing machine is installed by the commune People’s Committee at the community hall of Lien Hoa Village and Hamlet 5, Lien Hoa Village. Reportedly, the water supply system has an investment cost of VND20 million. Pumping machines, pipes and 1,000 tanks were funded by the local budget to take fresh water from drilled wells. 24-hour water availability is assured for those in need. The local authority plans to mobilize more funding for such water ATMs in communities in lack of water for daily use. Besides, many families who have wells are also engaged in sharing fresh water with others during the dry season.
In A Thi Village (Ba Cum Bac Commune), some people have tried to find water sources on the mountain and installed pipes to bring water to their village for free use. Tran Minh Chien, one of 4 people installing the water supply pipeline says: “Since the Lunar New Year, water from the water supply system of the commune is no longer available due to the drought. My family and others are constantly faced with the shortage of fresh water. To tackle to situation, 4 of us went to Xanh Mountain in search for water during the holiday April 30 and May 1. Fortunately, we have found a clean stream so we decided to spend more than VND 35 million on water pipes. After the 4 days off, we finished bringing water from Xanh Mountain through a pipeline, over 2km long, to 3 free water distribution sites in the village to share water with other families.”
The leader of Ba Cum Bac Commune says apart from the water supply provided by the group above, there is a gravity water-supply system invested by another resident named Hiep taking water from Xanh Mountain. This good deed is encouraged to be expanded to other communes to share water for daily use, helping locals deal with fresh water shortage during the on-going drought.
At present, Khanh Son District is facing the peak of drought with scarcity of water in many localities. The District People’s Committee has directed communes and towns to give priority to water sources for daily use; implement additional water supply measures such as digging wells, drilling public water supply wells and connecting to water supply systems. The automatic and free water supply in Son Binh and Ba Cum Bac is a good solution that needs expanding. Severe drought is forecasted to continue this year, so everyone needs to save water, especially for the coming peak dry months, according to Nguyen Ngoc Hieu, Chief of Khanh Son District Division of Agriculture & Rural Development.
Hai Lang
Translated by N.T
