Water project benefits 160,000 people in Red River Delta

Illustrative photo (Source: tapchicongsan.org.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) - Nearly 160,000 residents of eight Red River Delta provinces benefited from a programme for rural water supply and sanitation during the past four years.

The information was reported by Nguyen Xuan Tung, Deputy Director of the National Centre for Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, at a conference held this week in Hanoi by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the World Bank.

A total of 48 water supply projects were set up to provide clean water for more than 132,700 households. The projects were managed well, providing sufficient clean water reaching regulated norms for residents’ daily lives, said Tung.

By the 2019 end of the programme, as many as 60 water supply projects will have been be completed, bringing clean water for more than 224,700 households.

In the 2013-16 period the fund disbursed more than 2.5 trillion VND (110.2 million USD), making up more than 60 percent of the programme’s total. This year more than 540 billion VND (23.8 million USD) will be used, making up more than 13 percent of the programme’s total fund.

However, several provinces implemented the programme slowly and might not complete the scheduled plan, and need stronger instruction from provincial authorities, he said.

Do Van Thanh, head of the Rural Water Supply Programme’s Management Board under the MARD, said most provinces followed the regulations and plans.

Several provinces and cities including Vinh Phuc, Thanh Hoa and Hung Yen met difficulties in clearing the ground so the projects could be completed late, he said.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang said the programme for rural water supply and sanitation needed co-operation among different sectors and much remains to be done. He warned provincial authorities to pay more attention to proper use of the capital provided.-VNA