During our visit to Thien Thuat commune in early May, we had the opportunity to listen to the concerns of the commune's leaders about the electricity shortage. In the villages of Na Trang, Na Tong, and Pac Giam, 194 households with 932 people have been relying on electricity from self-installed power lines for many years due to the lack of investment in a comprehensive electricity system.
Accompanying the commune leaders on a field trip, we witnessed firsthand the makeshift power lines that the villagers had strung themselves along the mountain slopes, across streams, and through orchards to bring electricity to the village. These "power poles" were simply bamboo stalks that the villagers had cut down from the forest and erected temporarily. After years of use, many of the bamboo poles were rotten and leaning, with the power lines sagging low to the ground. Many sections of the wires had their protective insulation peeled off, exposing the metal core inside. Whenever there was heavy, prolonged rain, the power lines would become soaked and sag, further increasing the villagers' anxiety about the risk of electric shock.
Mr. Ly Van Phu, Party Secretary and Head of Na Trang village, shared: The village has 55 households with 255 inhabitants. Since 2017, to have electricity for daily life, the villagers have voluntarily contributed money to bring electricity to the village, with each household contributing about 5 million VND to buy wires, erect poles, and extend the power line from the commune center to the village, a distance of more than 4.5 km, not including the power lines leading to each house.
However, due to the weak and unstable power supply, people only dare to use a few low-wattage light bulbs for daily activities and for children to study in the evening.
The self-installed power lines still pose many dangers. In early 2019, a villager was tragically electrocuted to death while passing through an area with exposed power lines, leaving a lasting trauma for the villagers.
Besides facing concerns about makeshift power lines, the lack of a stable power supply directly impacts the economic development of the people. Mr. Luu Van Thay, head of Na Tong village, lamented: "The weak and intermittent power supply makes many production and livestock farming activities difficult for the villagers. Many households want to invest in large-scale livestock farming, buy machinery for milling and processing animal feed, but they cannot do so because the electricity is too weak. Most work still has to be done manually, which is both time-consuming and labor-intensive."
The lack of a stable power supply also makes life more difficult for the people. Mobile phone and internet signals are intermittent, with some areas almost completely without signal, affecting access to information and communication. Meanwhile, transportation infrastructure is not yet fully developed; many roads leading into the villages are still narrow dirt roads, making travel difficult, especially during the rainy season.
Regarding this issue, Mr. Hoang Anh Vu, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thien Thuat commune, said: The project to invest in the power grid for the villages of Na Trang, Na Tong, and Pac Giam was previously included in the medium-term public investment plan using state budget funds for the period 2026-2030 according to Resolution No. 46/NQ-HĐND dated September 30, 2024, of the Provincial People's Council. However, after the reorganization of communes (from July 2025), the project was assigned to the People's Committee of Thien Thuat commune to continue implementation, while the local government's ability to balance funding is still limited, so it has not been implemented yet.
According to Mr. Vu, in 2026, the total public investment capital of the commune will only be about 2.1 billion VND, of which the majority must be prioritized for essential projects such as road construction and cement support for rural transportation infrastructure. Meanwhile, investing in an electricity system for 3 villages requires approximately 14 billion VND, exceeding the commune's capacity.
Amidst numerous hardships and shortages, what the people of Na Trang, Na Tong, and Pac Giam villages most ardently hope for is the day when a more comprehensive and stable electricity system will be invested in, so that their lives will be less difficult and dark, and at the same time, open up opportunities for economic development and improve the living standards of the people here.
Source: https://baolangson.vn/mon-moi-cho-dien-luoi-ve-ban-5091944.html
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