Article 2: “Valuable resource” gives Truong Sa a facelift

Fresh water filtered from sea water on An Bang island (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Besides building large containers to keep rain water and installing filters to turn sea water into fresh water, many islands are also sinking wells to help Truong Sa get a facelift.

Not only building tanks and containers to keep rain water and filter systems to turn sea water into fresh water, many large islands of the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago also sink wells, a familiar image on the mainland.

“Three-time” reuse of fresh water

Fresh water has so far been a valuable resource for Truong Sa, especially during the dry season, even on large islands like Truong Sa Lon, Nam Yet and Song Tu Tay. In face of the scarcity, Truong Sa soldiers have to save up even a single drop of fresh water and, as a result, the water supply is ensured for their daily life and production.

According to Capt. Hoang The Anh, political commissar of Thuyen Chai B island, each soldier has a portion of only 12 litres of fresh water each day in the dry season. Before cooking, they often clean their vegetables with sea water and then some fresh water. The used fresh water then will be reused to wash their rice and then again for watering their vegetable gardens.

Like their comrades on Thuyen Chai B island, soldiers on submerged islands like Toc Tan C, Da Tay A or Da Lon B also have the same practice with the fresh water they collect from rain water and filter from sea water. A look at their green vegetable gardens will help visitors imagine how they make the fullest use of fresh water.

Sen. Lt. Col. Luong Quoc Anh of Brigade 146 said that fresh water on the islands used to be very scarce in the absence of the filter systems and containers as it was mainly supplied from the mainland, and each soldier got only about 6 litres of fresh water a day during the dry season. However, the situation started to improve thanks to the building and installation of the system of containers and filters.

Currently, the filters can turn out about 50 litres of fresh water each hour, playing an important role in ensuring fresh water for soldiers. Thanks to the improvement, trees and vegetables on the islands are developing well. In 2018, soldiers on Sinh Ton Dong island turned out over 6 tonnes of vegetables and raised many pigs and poultry.

By now, filters have been installed on almost all the islands and soldiers can use the water they get to help bypassing fishermen.

Container system for keeping fresh water on Da Dong C island (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Revisiting Truong Sa, former commander of Da Nam island, Col. Duong Minh Hien recalled the day 25 years ago when soldiers had to distill sea water to get fresh water. Sipping some fresh water filtered on Thuyen Chai B island, the man who spent two years in Truong Sa sighed with relief as water supply is no longer a concern for the soldiers on the islands.

Wells sunk right in Truong Sa!

Besides building large containers to keep rain water and installing filters to turn sea water into fresh water, soldiers on a number of Truong Sa islands are also sinking wells for water which also create a familiar image of the mainland. Children playing in basins with water got from wells are a usual scene on islands, much to the surprise of visitors.

In the memory of former Lt. Nguyen Viet Nhat, the sinking of wells on Truong Sa Lon island started in 1988 when each soldier got only 1 litre of fresh water a day and a bath each week.

In face of the serious scarcity, Truong Sa soldiers have to save up even a single drop of fresh water. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Having no other choice, Nhat and his comrades took time after daytime mission to sink wells in the evening through layers of hard rock, and their efforts finally yielded fruit. However, the miracle did not come as the water found 3 metres under the ground was brackish, not potable, but soldiers could use it for other purposes like bathing or cultivating their vegetables.

Deputy commander of Truong Sa island Dinh Trong Tham said in the absence of rains for half a year, the water source from the wells is extremely valuable as it keep trees and vegetables there green. There are now wells on the tree Truong Sa islands, namely Song Tu Tay, Nam Yet and Truong Sa Lon./.

Fresh water has helped inject “vitality” to the vegetation and keep islands cool. (Photo: VietnamPlus)