Bringing clean water across the Red River to the island commune of the Capital

On the last day of the year, the first stream of clean water flowed into households in Minh Chau commune on the sandbank in the middle of the Red River, where people had to travel by ferry.

At the inauguration ceremony of the water supply system for more than 1,400 households in Minh Chau commune on February 7, the leader of Ba Vi district said this was a "historic milestone", and the commune chairman considered bringing clean water to the people here a "miracle".

About 60 km from the center of Hanoi, Minh Chau commune was established in 1955 in the middle of the Red River in Ba Vi district. The commune has an area of over 560 hectares, with a population of over 1,400 households (about 6,500 people). People mainly engage in pure agricultural production such as growing bananas and raising dairy cows.

Because it is located on the alluvial plain in the middle of the Red River, when the flood season comes, the whole commune is isolated, and travel depends on boats and ferries, so Minh Chau is referred to as the only island commune in the capital. In the dry season, people can travel by road to An Tuong commune, Vinh Tuong district, Vinh Phuc. Every day, high school students have to take a ferry across the Red River to go to school because the commune only has primary and secondary schools.

People and authorities of Minh Chau commune, Ba Vi district happily welcomed the first clean water lines installed in households on February 7. Photo: Hoang Phong — People and authorities of Minh Chau commune, Ba Vi district happily welcomed the first clean water supply to households on February 7. Photo: *Hoang Phong*

The commune is surrounded by rivers, but due to the geological structure, underground water is scarce and polluted. People mainly collect rainwater for drinking and use well water for daily activities. "The dream of local officials and people is to have a clean water source for daily activities, replacing well water," said Nguyen Danh Dat, Chairman of Minh Chau Commune People's Committee.

According to Mr. Dat, in early 2022, the construction of the branch and main road system to supply water to people was completed, but it was difficult to know where the clean water source would come from due to the local terrain characteristics in the middle of the Red River. Ba Vi district then decided to construct the D160 clean water line across the Red River to Minh Chau commune.

After nearly a month of day and night construction, on January 28, the drill was successfully carried from the bank of Chu Minh commune to the bank of Minh Chau commune and on February 4, the water pipe installation was completed. Minh Chau island commune has clean water after nearly 70 years of establishment. The construction unit has installed water meters and clean water pipes for the first 10 households to use, striving to have 100% of households in Minh Chau commune supplied with clean water in the first quarter of 2024.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Quyen (Zone 6, Chu Chau Village) said that clean water helps his family feel secure in their daily activities. The worry about polluted water sources is gone, allowing the family to focus on business and economic development.

People in Minh Chau commune collect clean water from the Red River and store it in a reservoir. Photo: Hoang Phong — People in Minh Chau commune collect clean water from the Red River and store it in a reservoir. Photo: *Hoang Phong*

Chairman of Ba Vi District People's Committee Do Manh Hung assessed this as an important historical milestone in the development process of Minh Chau commune, improving people's lives and being the driving force for the commune's economic development. Mr. Hung said that currently 92% of households in the district have access to clean water supply system but only over 60% of households use it. "I request units to increase propaganda and mobilize people to use clean water," he said.

According to statistics from the Hanoi New Rural Development Program Coordination Office, by the end of 2023, the rate of rural people with access to centralized clean water sources will reach about 90%. In 2023, 15 more communes in Soc Son, Ung Hoa, and My Duc districts will be provided with centralized clean water. The entire city still has 124 communes without clean water.

Vo Hai

Source link