By Soukthavy

(KPL) ADB Country Director to Laos Sandra Nicoll last week led a group tour comprising journalists and representatives of the Ministry of Planning and Investment to the northern province of Huaphan to inspect the progress of infrastructure development projects funded by the bank is beneficial and fruitful.

These projects fall under the Northern and Central Regional Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project which covers 12 small towns in Luang Namtha, Bokeo, Oudomxay, Luang Prabang, Huaphan, Xieng Khuang, Vientiane Province, and Xayaboury. 

In Huaphan, Xamtay district is a beneficiary of the project. Under the project, US$1.3 million has been spent on the construction of a water supply plant in Xamtay district to ensure that local people gain better access to safe water and, interestingly, to relieve the heavy burden of traveling kilometers to fetch water from the natural source, the Xamtay River in this case, by women and girls.

For years, using untreated water from natural sources put many families at risk of getting sick from water borne diseases like diarrhoea. The likelihood of suffering from water borne diseases was especially high during the raining season.

Today, with the existence of the Xamtay District Water Supply Plant, almost 38,000 people in the five villages of Phansavanh, Xamtay, Xamthong, Thin and Khor, have gained access to safe water.

“My house is far from the Xam River. We spent a lot of time fetching water for our family’s use.  We didn’t have time to work,” said Ms Si Innamvong, 46, a Xamthong villager, while explaining how difficult her life was before the existence of the Xamtay Water Supply Plant.

She said that she and her daughter had to travel on foot around 2 km every day to fetch water from the Nam Xam River

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“My family is poor, but we have been lucky to have received grant assistant from ADB.  We can now access a safe water supply and toilets,” said Mr Muanthong Senkhampheng, 58.

“I would like to thank ADB for helping to improve the living conditions in my village,” added Mr Muanthong.

With financial support of over US$1.3 million from ADB, the Xamtay Water Supply Plant was built between 2009 and 2011 and is equipped with a daily treatment capacity of 1,270 m3 of water, according to Mr Khamtay Paoxeumoua, Director of Xamtay Water Supply Enterprise.

In 2006, the Asian Development Bank approved a US$9.1 million grant for the Northern and Central Region Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project to improve the accessibility, quality, reliability, and sustainability of the water supply systems.  The project has also improved the environmental conditions in 12 small towns in the eight northern provinces. 

These beneficiary districts include Sing and Namtha districts in Luang Namtha, Nam Keung in Bokeo, Namor and Houn in Oudomxay, Nan and Ngoy in Luang Prabang, Xamtay in Huaphan, Khoun in Xieng Khuang, Keo Oudom and Xanakham in Vientiane Province, and Kenethao in Xayaboury.  

KPL