The water is weak, people have to scoop buckets into the washing machine; in the middle of the night, the whole family has to stay up for hours to collect water to store for the next day - that is the situation that many households in the center of Soc Trang city (Soc Trang province) have had to endure for a long time and up to this point there is still no way out.
According to information on Lao Dong, Ms. Huynh Ngoc Tham - residing in Ward 3, Soc Trang City - said that the water shortage has lasted from 2024 until now: "Every morning before going to work, I have to collect 2-3 buckets of water so that I have water to bathe and cook at noon. Many days, I can only collect one bucket and then it runs out. There are days when my children come home from school and I have to wait for each drop of water. Sometimes, the water is cut off for more than 6 hours, and the whole family has to "hold off" from bathing."
Explaining this, Mr. Dang Van Ngo - General Director of Soc Trang Water Supply Joint Stock Company - said that the main reason is due to the complicated situation of saltwater intrusion, especially during peak hours, holidays and Tet, causing some households to not have enough water for daily use...
Before the Lunar New Year 2025, after Lao Dong's reflection, Chairman of the People's Committee of Soc Trang province Tran Van Lau issued an urgent document directing urgent solutions. However, after Tet, everything is still the same and the citizens in the city center still stay up every night to watch each bucket of water.
The water supply company's explanation sounds reasonable, especially in the context of coastal provinces entering the saltwater intrusion season. However, more than half a year ago, during the rainy season, water shortages and unsanitary water still occurred everywhere in Soc Trang, not only in the center but also in Tran De, Ke Sach, Cu Lao Dung districts... The frustration over water shortages and pitch-black water was even brought up at the provincial People's Council meeting in July 2024.
Furthermore, on February 26, 2024 - one year ago - the People's Committee of Soc Trang province held a meeting to resolve difficulties and overcome the serious shortage of domestic water as well as water quality. At this meeting, Mr. Lam Hoang Nghiep - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Soc Trang province - said that it is necessary to promptly inform the people about the shortage of water so that people can sympathize and share the difficulties with the water supply sector.
For over a year, it is clear that people have been very sympathetic, or more accurately, resigned. But who will sympathize with them when the most basic and minimal living needs of the city are not guaranteed? Who will sympathize with them when they have to work hard to make a living all day, until midnight the whole family has to sit and watch each bucket of water, even having to "forgo" bathing? The salinity intrusion in coastal provinces like Soc Trang is not happening now but is a natural law. More than anyone, the water supply industry and the functional agencies of this province certainly understand clearly to have a long-term plan, not just using it as a reason and a story of people's frustration because of the prolonged water shortage year after year.
To put it bluntly, ensuring stable water supply is the responsibility of the water supply unit. This has been clearly stipulated in Article 55, Article 58 of Decree 117/ND-CP dated July 11, 2007 of the Government and the amended and supplemented decrees. Even the water supply unit must have the obligation to compensate if it causes damage to customers, and cannot just say a word of sympathy and then people stay up all night to save every drop of water, or live with pitch-black tap water, having to flush it for an hour to use it but still paying the full water bill as before.
