Clean water for ethnic minorities

Thanks to the effective implementation of policies to support domestic water for ethnic minority people, Thai Nguyen province has achieved remarkable results when over 97% of ethnic minority and mountainous households have access to hygienic domestic water.

People of Lien Minh commune (Vo Nhai) use clean water from the National Target Program on Socio -Economic Development for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 Period.

In Lien Minh commune (Vo Nhai), where over 82% of the population are ethnic minorities, the lack of domestic water has been a constant concern for the people. Especially during the dry season, low rainfall causes streams to often dry up. Poor and near-poor households who cannot afford to buy water tanks often have to use old barrels to store domestic water. Storing water outdoors for a long time without a lid has caused many hygiene problems, directly affecting people's health.

This situation has changed positively since Project 1 of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 Period (Program 1719) was implemented. Support policies from the Program have helped many households receive support for water tanks and reservoirs, benefit from centralized clean water projects, making an important contribution to ensuring the need for clean water.

The story of Mrs. Ma Thi Thoi, in Lien Minh commune, is a clear demonstration of this change. Mrs. Thoi shared: In the past, to have water for daily use, my family made our own pipes by connecting long bamboo trees to bring natural water from streams for direct use, but there were times when the streams dried up, and the family had to carry cans to a water source far away from home to get water for use.

Currently, with the support of the State, the pipeline has been replaced with a plastic pipe with a water tap and a water tank, so the family has a stable source of clean water and does not have to worry about water shortages, especially in the dry season. - Mrs. Ma Thi Thoi

Project 1 of Program 1719 aims to support poor ethnic minority households and poor Kinh households living in extremely disadvantaged communes and hamlets to use hygienic domestic water according to standards. The project focuses on two main directions of support: decentralized domestic water (priority given to supporting the purchase of equipment or the construction of water tanks for domestic use by households) and centralized domestic water through investment in the construction of centralized water works, with special priority given to areas that are frequently affected by drought, extremely disadvantaged areas and mountainous areas.

From 2021 to present, Thai Nguyen province has invested more than 93.5 billion VND to support domestic water for over 9,510 households and invested in the construction of 41 centralized domestic water works; supported residential land and housing for 928 households. These figures reflect Thai Nguyen's determination and continuous efforts in improving living conditions for ethnic minorities.

Mr. Phan Thanh Ha, Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions , said: In addition to policies to support economic development for poor, near-poor, and ethnic minority households, investment and support for centralized and decentralized domestic water supply have been helping people access clean water sources. Thereby, contributing to improving the quality of life, protecting public health, especially in remote areas and mountainous areas with a large number of ethnic minorities.

The province has applied many synchronous solutions to bring clean water to remote areas, mountainous communes, and highlands with a large population of ethnic minorities. For areas with centralized water supply systems, the province has a policy of increasing capacity and maximizing the expansion of the water supply network, while renovating and repairing works that do not have water treatment systems to ensure water quality. In particular, the province has also invested in building new clean water supply systems with stable capacity for areas without water supply works, in parallel with building mechanisms and policies to attract investment to promote the effectiveness of post-investment works.

With over 97% of ethnic minority and mountainous households using clean water, Thai Nguyen province is affirming the effectiveness of essential support policies for ethnic minority areas. This success is not only significant in terms of improving life but also a clear demonstration of the deep concern of the Party and State in ensuring social security, implementing sustainable development goals and building new rural areas in mountainous and highland areas.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202506/nuoc-sach-den-voi-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-8540630/