Infrastructure paves the way and creates a foundation for sustainable development.

In the highland villages of the province, concrete roads stretch across the mountain slopes, and the national power grid illuminates every home and school facility.

The Pa Tần boarding school, which includes both primary and secondary levels, is currently undergoing accelerated construction.

We arrived at Ta Tong commune, a mountainous area that was once very difficult to access, and what was immediately noticeable was the significant transformation of the rural landscape. Previously, many villages were almost completely isolated during the rainy season, but now they all have convenient access roads for motorbikes or cars; over 50% of the commune's roads have been paved. The electricity, water supply, schools, and health stations continue to receive investment, better meeting the needs of the people.

Comrade Nguyen Van Hien - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ta Tong commune, affirmed: The invested infrastructure has created a clear transformation in the lives of the people. Convenient transportation makes travel and exchange of goods easier; children attend school regularly, and people also have convenient access to medical services.

The people of Ta Tong commune are actively cleaning and maintaining the newly paved roads.

During the period 2021-2025, the entire province mobilized over 11,641 billion VND for infrastructure investment, including more than 498 billion VND from the central budget, over 2,334 billion VND from integrated capital, and 8,560 billion VND from credit, prioritizing essential projects directly serving the lives and production of people in rural, remote, and mountainous areas. From this capital, the province invested in and upgraded 458 infrastructure projects. In the transportation sector alone, there were 313 projects with a total length of nearly 197 km. Many inter-commune and inter-village roads were concreted, gradually overcoming the isolation in mountainous areas.

To date, over 79% of inter-communal roads have been paved; 100% of villages and hamlets have roads accessible by motorbikes or cars. Mr. Pờ Lóng Thèn (Mù Cả village, Mù Cả commune) shared: "Previously, during the rainy season, muddy dirt roads made travel and transportation of agricultural products very difficult, and students had a hard time getting to school. Now, with convenient transportation and well-equipped schools, people's lives have changed significantly."

Thanks to the developed water supply infrastructure, the people of Nam Nghe village, Hua Bum commune, no longer have to worry about water shortages.

Along with transportation, the irrigation system continues to receive investment to serve agricultural production. The province has 1,016 irrigation works with a total canal length of over 2,325 km, of which more than 1,853 km have been reinforced. The percentage of agricultural land with actively managed irrigation and drainage reaches 87.5%, creating conditions for people to expand production and transform the structure of crops and livestock accordingly. Over 97% of households in the province have access to the national power grid; 93% of the rural population has access to clean water. Many centralized water supply projects have been invested in, helping to reduce water shortages during the dry season in highland villages. In the fields of education and health, 100% of schools and commune health stations have been reinforced; nearly 72% of schools meet national standards. The synchronized investment in infrastructure has contributed to improving the quality of teaching and learning, and healthcare for the people, especially in remote and disadvantaged areas. 100% of communes have cultural centers and sports facilities; nearly 90% of villages have cultural centers serving community activities. Internet and mobile phone coverage has reached all commune centers, gradually narrowing the gap between mountainous and more developed areas.

Comrade Nguyen Ba Nho - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that investing in infrastructure in mountainous and disadvantaged areas not only changes the face of rural areas but also creates conditions to promote production development, reduce poverty sustainably, and improve people's access to essential services. However, the process of infrastructure investment in Lai Chau still faces many difficulties due to the fragmented terrain and frequent natural disasters. Some transportation and irrigation works have deteriorated after floods; the percentage of people using clean water meeting standards is still low; and investment resources in many localities remain limited. Therefore, in the coming time, the province will continue to prioritize the development of rural infrastructure in a synchronous and sustainable manner. The goal is to achieve, by 2030, over 95% of commune roads will be paved; 99% of households will use the national power grid; and 80% of the rural population will have access to clean water. At the same time, continue investing in digital infrastructure, disaster prevention and control projects, waste treatment facilities, and projects serving production development.

Implementing these solutions and objectives will help Lai Chau gradually narrow the development gap, aiming to maintain and improve the criteria for new rural areas.

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/kinh-te/ha-tang-mo-loi-tao-the-phat-trien-ben-vung-989027