TPO - Lacking domestic water, thousands of people in the Go Cong freshwater area, Tien Giang province have to carry plastic cans to public water taps to wait for water.
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| According to the reporter's records, at noon on April 3, from the center of Go Cong Dong district, Tien Giang province to the communes of Phuoc Trung, Tang Hoa... along both sides of the road, it is not difficult to see people carrying plastic cans to public water taps to wait to collect fresh water. |
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Mr. Trinh Minh Quoc - residing in Phuoc Trung commune, Go Cong Dong district, Tien Giang province, carried 10 plastic cans to the public water tap in the commune to wait to collect water to bring home. Sharing with Tien Phong newspaper reporter, Mr. Quoc said that currently, the canals and ponds near his house have been dry for many days. The tap water system is not enough to supply the family's daily needs, the tap only drips, this situation has lasted for nearly 10 days now. "Every day, 2-3 times, I bring plastic cans to collect about 300 liters of water to store for the whole family's daily needs. People here can only rely on this public water tap", Mr. Quoc said. |
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| Under the harsh midday sun, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, residing in Ngai Tri hamlet, Phuoc Trung commune, and her husband carried 10 plastic cans (30 liters) to the waiting point to get fresh water. Ms. Lan said that because there was no water to use, in the past few days, her family bought 10 plastic cans for nearly 500,000 VND to collect water. "Fresh water here is now very scarce because there is not a drop of water left in the canal. My family raises cows and goats, and it is very difficult not to have water to drink," Ms. Lan confided. |
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Mr. Le Van Tuan, a local resident, added that his family had previously stocked up on fresh water but it was still not enough. Meanwhile, the water plant has not been able to supply a single drop for about 2 weeks, so there is a serious shortage of fresh water. After taking his children to school, he brought a plastic can to get water for eating and drinking. |
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| According to the reporter's records, within 15 minutes, dozens of people lined up to get water. Some brought a few cans, some brought dozens of cans to take home. |
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According to local people, the prolonged drought has used up all the stored water, so the water shortage is very serious, so water must be taken even at night. |
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Intra-field canals in Tang Hoa commune, Go Cong Dong district are dry. |
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Speaking with Tien Phong, Mr. Nguyen Van Qui - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Go Cong Dong district said that before Tet, in the Go Cong freshwater area, there was an abundant source of inland water and tap water. However, at the end of February 2024, the saline intrusion situation became complicated, so the saline prevention sluice system was closed. In addition, the area of fruit trees and crops in the district needed a large amount of water for irrigation, causing the water level of the canals in the freshwater area to drop rapidly. In addition, the prolonged hot weather caused the surface water in the canals to dry up. |
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Mr. Nguyen Van Qui added that, in the face of the above situation, the district has also arranged 64 public water taps (in 11 communes and 1 town) to serve the daily needs of the people. |
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A dry intra-field canal in Go Cong Dong district, seen from above. Photo: Nhat Huy. |
On April 1, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued Directive 11/CT-TTg requesting to strengthen measures to prevent and combat heat waves, droughts, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion. The Prime Minister's Directive stated that due to the influence of El Nino, since the beginning of the year, rainfall in many regions across the country has been deficient, temperatures have been high, and heat waves have been prolonged; droughts, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion have occurred in some localities, especially the Mekong Delta and the Central and Central Highlands regions.
The Prime Minister requested that localities must prioritize providing enough water for daily life, irrigation of perennial crops of high economic value and other essential needs. Localities must identify areas at risk of water shortage to proactively organize and implement solutions to ensure water supply for daily life for people; not to let people lack water for daily life.
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