"The turning point" in history
“There’s a road connecting from Ka Pét Lake to the provincial center,” the retired man repeated after traveling through all the roads in the former Mỹ Thạnh commune (now Hàm Thạnh commune). In his memory, from many years ago, there was a planned road for the people of Mỹ Thạnh to cross to Đông Giang and the Bình Thuận Provincial Party Committee's base during the war against the US, which was the final destination. Now, that historical site has been renovated and developed into a famous historical tourism destination, but there’s no road leading back to the starting point at this final destination. So, today, he’s searching for the starting point… As someone who’s traveled extensively, when the roads connecting to this area finally appeared, he was struck by the unexpected discovery. If the road he’s looking for exists, it would create another route connecting the provincial administrative center to the coastal tourist areas, and simultaneously open up a tourism route linking the forest and the sea. Isn't it true that from the provincial center, you can follow National Highway 55, then Provincial Road 714 in Dong Giang commune, turn into the Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee Base historical site, then to Ka Pet Lake, then onto the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway, down to National Highway 1A at km 14 Ham Kiem, before heading towards the sea, which is only 10 km away...?
He spoke enthusiastically, while we were still trying to imagine what would happen when the Ka Pét reservoir and some kind of road connecting the two sides—forest and sea—hadn't yet been built. I asked the commune and relevant authorities about this and vaguely realized that this area had several "connections" all related to the forest. First, the road that the retired man mentioned did exist; it was called the My Thanh to Dong Giang road, and the investment plan for the project was approved by the People's Committee of the former Binh Thuan province in Decision No. 2984/QD-UBND dated October 29, 2015. Subsequent steps had also been taken to build and sketch out a 15.3 km gravel road... In 2018, the investor began the procedures for changing the land use purpose of the forest. However, at this time, the Ka Pét reservoir project, located nearby, was also undergoing investment preparation procedures.
This means that the two projects are being implemented simultaneously, requiring a change in land use for forest land and the allocation of a considerable area for reforestation. In this situation, the province decided to prioritize the Ka Pét Reservoir project to address the urgent water needs of the people, which had been delayed for many years due to various reasons. The National Assembly approved the investment. The procedures proceeded smoothly, and preparations for the project's commencement are underway.
But then, suddenly, in 2023, a wave of protest arose arguing against sacrificing forests for irrigation projects. This was despite the fact that thousands of the Rắc Lây and K'Ho people, suffering from food shortages and facing starvation for the past 50 years due to lack of water for production, had been waiting for aid. It was despite their ignorance of the irrigation network plan in this arid region, where the absence of a reservoir, considered a crucial link in the chain, would render any progress impossible. It was despite never having visited Hàm Thạnh to see how the dipterocarp forests there shed all their leaves during the dry season to prevent evaporation, preserving their remaining "strength" until the rains brought rebirth. And yet…
It takes 1,808 days for Ka Pét to appear.
At this time, after the scattered rains from June until now, the forest trees in Ham Thanh commune are sprouting new green leaves. The Rac Lay and K'Ho people in this area are also bustling about, heading to their production fields, which had been left fallow for the past six months, to plow and prepare for the rains before planting corn and cassava. Everyone's face relaxes with relief, having survived another dry season. This dry season is less stressful. But in April, the irrigation reservoirs in the lowlands of the former Ham Thuan Nam district were already overflowing, diverting water for production to share the burden. In May, some reservoirs dried up. Localized droughts have already occurred. How much more so in this highland region? I followed the same path I took last dry season. At that time, it was only mid-March, but the drought had already peaked, the Linh River had dried up, and people lacked water for daily life, requiring relief efforts... This is nothing new here.
“The new thing is that after the merger of the three communes (My Thanh, Ham Can, and Ham Thanh), the commune's administrative center is located in Ham Thanh. The people are eagerly awaiting the Ka Pet reservoir; only when there is water will this place truly change!” said Mr. Le Ha Luu, a nearly 70-year-old Rac Lay resident. Mr. Luu was formerly a teacher, then served as Vice Chairman of the People's Council of My Thanh commune, and held other positions in the Party before retiring, so he has a strong desire to change his homeland. Whenever he talks about the Ka Pet reservoir, he remembers every step of the 20 years of waiting vividly. Therefore, when he heard the news that the Ka Pet reservoir would begin construction in December 2025, and that the My Thanh – Dong Giang road might also be built, he fell silent. The other residents here did the same, silently looking at me as if asking: Is it true?
The skepticism is understandable, because after the 2023 "incident," relevant departments and agencies reviewed and focused on implementing strict measures. After the former People's Committee of Binh Thuan province approved the investment plan for the Ka Pet reservoir project in March 2025, the investor submitted a report at the end of April outlining the projected implementation and disbursement schedule for the Ka Pet reservoir project, with a completion time of 1,808 days, i.e., until June 2028. In 2025 alone, nearly 243 billion VND will be allocated to the Ka Pet reservoir project, including a 30% advance payment of the contract value and funds for reforestation…
Therefore, these days, the units involved in reforestation, with a total area of 1,845 hectares—three times the area of natural forest that needs to be cleared for the construction of Ka Pét reservoir—are racing against time and the heavy rains. Meanwhile, the My Thanh to Dong Giang road project, with an upgrade to 2-4 lanes, included in the Binh Thuan province's planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, has been approved by the Prime Minister and is currently undergoing adjustments to the investment plan by the investor to suit actual needs. The biggest difficulty, the forest and forest land issues, which prevented the road from being built before, are no longer a concern, as Lam Dong province now has a large forest cover rate after the merger. If approved, the project will be implemented in the period 2026-2030, connecting and opening up a route from the provincial center to the coastal area, as the retired gentleman mentioned. By then, the Ka Pét lake will have also formed, becoming a special link not only in the irrigation network but also in the travel and sightseeing routes for locals and tourists. I suddenly felt happy thinking about the Rắc Lây and K'Ho people here having an additional occupation in tourism services...
According to current regulations on investment and construction, the Ka Pét reservoir project will be completed on June 5, 2028. There are 119 activities across 8 different specialized fields that need to be approved. Notably, forestry-related tasks account for 33 activities totaling 604 days, starting on February 14, 2025, and expected to be completed on September 22, 2026. Similarly, the project completion work, totaling 867 days, starting on January 20, 2026, and expected to be completed on June 5, 2028… The plan has been submitted to the relevant ministries, and the Government will present it to the National Assembly…
Source: https://baolamdong.vn/ho-ka-pet-mat-xich-dac-biet-382540.html
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