In 1992, at Environment and Development Conference hosted by the United Nations (UN) in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), UN chose annual Mar 22 as the World Water Day or Clean Water Day to call for all people not to use water wastefully, and not to contaminate the fresh water source. Every year, this global organization put forward a major theme with a common message to all member countries. The message of World Water Day 2016 is "Water and Jobs".
Water - a finite resource
Dry season of 2016 is forecasted to prolong and reached its peak in the last 100 years. Although the dry season has just started, leaders of many provinces in the Mekong Delta declared a state of disaster caused by drought, salinization dehydrating and killing rice fields.
Clean water - a finite resource associated with life and growth.
Photo: Leadership of Biwase (right) inspected operations of Di An Water Supply Enterprise
In recent years, besides the efforts to develop water supply system for domestic and production activities in the province, Binh Duong Water Supply Sewerage Environment Company (Biwase) has promoted propaganda, education on the value of water resources among the community, especially younger generation. Biwase has also cooperated with schools, mass, social organizations, localities suffering lack of clean water… to communicate the value of clean water for life and growth; organized student’s visits to clean water factories in order for children to understand the great significance of water resource protection, form the habit of using water economically and efficiently.
Tran Chien Cong, Deputy Director of Biwase, said the human civilization originated from rivers. History showed that our forefathers had known to utilize natural forces, especially water power, to expel invaders, protect the country; and use water resources to develop production. The theme of World Water Day 2016 is "Water and Jobs”, which implies that water s not only linked with life but also related to employment and social development. Because water is a finite resource, therefore it should be protected and used efficiently.
Saving water for more jobs
Biwase has effectively used international funds, including official development assistances (ODAs) of Denmark, Finland, Japan..., to develop clean water supply system as well as the collection and treatment of waste water in order to protect declining water resources.
Pham Van Cha, former Director of Biwase, said in recent years, provincial water supply and sewerage had grown rapidly. Clean water has covered all geographical areas from urban to rural areas. Clean water from Binh Duong has also helped to refresh some difficult areas of neighboring provinces, like: Linh Xuan ward, Thu Duc district, HCMC; Tan Van, Tan Hanh ward in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai province…
Recently, clean water of Binh Duong “crossed” Saigon River to cool people living along the river of Cu Chi district, HCMC. Mr. Cha said, we could do this, thanks to the awareness of saving. In the past, devices were old, capacity was low, water losses rose up to 30% - 35%. At present, with good devices, water loss rate of Binh Duong is the lowest nationwide, less than 7%. Thanks to adequate clean water supply for daily activities and production, investment attraction, socio-economic development in the province has been accelerated, workers got stable jobs, life is improved.
Protecting and efficiently using water resources
Nguyen Van Thien, CEO of Biwase, said Binh Duong now filled up clean water supply system and obtained a reserve rate of 10% - 15% the current capacity. This result will be further developed, because in some provincial areas, people still use drilled-wells, while the groundwater resource is on a decline, which will lead to subsidence and many negative environmental effects. PPC has restricted and prohibited the underground water source to protect water resources, protect the environment and public health that developed countries in the world have applied for a long time.
Even with water reserving source, Biwase has boosted socialization to improve water supply capability, meet the needs of socio-economic development. In 2014, Biwase inaugurated Di An 2 Water Plant (1st stage) invested by Thu Dau Mot Water Company in socialization form and using surface water resources from two major rivers of Saigon and Dong Nai. In Feb 2015, Biwase continued to inaugurate the second phase of the plant, increased its capacity by
100,000m3/day. In early 2016, Biwase started the project of Bau Bang Water Plant also in socialization form and using surface water resources to serve the development needs of northern districts of the province. Besides, Biwase has accelerated the project of collecting, treating waste water in urban areas of Thu Dau Mot, Thuan An and Di An under the “South Binh Duong water environment improvement” project funded by Japan.
Reported by Duy Chi – Translated by Ngoc Huynh
