Giồng Chát Hamlet is "thirsty" for clean water.

For many years, due to the lack of access to clean water, dozens of households in Giong Chat hamlet, Lieu Tu commune, have had to draw water from canals and ditches for their use. The longing for clean water has always been a concern for many families in this rural area.

Ms. Ly Ngoc Lan, residing in Hamlet 1, Giong Chat Village, recounted: “When it rains, my family collects rainwater for storage; now that it's the dry season, I wait for the high tide to quickly carry water up to store and use gradually. Because it's canal water, we have to let it settle with alum to make it clear before using it for bathing, washing clothes, and washing dishes. As for water for cooking and drinking, we have to buy filtered water, spring water, or exchange clean water with acquaintances in the neighboring hamlet.”

Hamlet 1 has about 25 households living in conditions lacking clean water, like Mrs. Lan's family. Some households in the hamlet have also drilled wells, but due to the saline soil in this area, the well water is unusable.

More than 20 households along the Sa Mach canal, from Ba Tam Bridge (east side), Giong Chat hamlet, currently lack access to clean water. Ms. Thach Thi Ben, who lives near Ba Tam Bridge, confided: “For many years, this area has lacked clean water, forcing us to use river water or wait for rainwater to collect and store. My family has six members and is considered to be in a difficult economic situation; when the rainwater runs out, we have to buy or exchange water, which is very expensive. We hope to have access to clean water so we no longer have to struggle with the lack of water for daily use.”

Due to a lack of clean water, residents in Hamlet 1, Giong Chat village, have to fetch water from the canal in front of their houses for daily use.

At the section of the Group 7 canal in Giong Chat hamlet, the roads are difficult to access, and there is no bridge across the canal, so about 14 households there also face considerable difficulties in getting clean water for use.

According to Mr. Le Hong Vy, Head of the People's Committee of Giong Chat hamlet, the shortage of clean water in the aforementioned areas has been ongoing for many years. About three years ago, some households in Hamlet 1 connected their pipes to the common water supply line of the residential area on the other side of the canal to bring water to their homes. However, because the connecting pipes spanned the canal, and boats and ships frequently collided with them, causing the pipes to break, the households had to give up. Since then, the residents have continued to buy water, exchange clean water, and use water from the canal and ditches, as there is still no way to access piped water.

"People in the aforementioned areas urgently need clean water, especially families with young children and the elderly. We request that the local authorities develop a plan to bring clean water to these families to ensure their daily needs and health," Mr. Vy said.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Truong Ngoc Diep, Head of the Economic Department of the Lieu Tu Commune People's Committee, said: "The Commune People's Committee has acknowledged the people's feedback and requested the Economic Department to develop a plan to survey the situation at residential areas lacking clean water, compile information to advise and propose to the Commune People's Committee to send a document to the Center for Rural Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation of Can Tho City for a solution."

Text and photos: Xuan Nguyen

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/ap-giong-chat-khat-nuoc-sach-a196987.html