Chomthong Village, located in Viengthong District, Bolikhamxay Province, is one of the focuses of the province in developing into a big community and a small town in the future. However, there are lacks the conditions to provide clean and safe water to use in daily life. In the past, people used water from natural water sources such as wells and groundwater. The water is dirty in the rainy season and dry in the dry season. Therefore, the local organizations under the guidance and attention of the National Assembly, the Provincial Council along with the Steering Committees of Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project, have worked together to urgently find a solution to the problem.
Consequently, there was a project to construct a water supply system at Chomthong Village, Viengthong District, Bolikhamxay Province, which is one of the projects contributed by two parties, namely the survey initiative phase by the National Assembly and the design and construction phase under the Community Development Fund (CDF) of Nam Theun 1 Power Company Limited, with a total value of 257,223 dollars and contracted by the State Water Enterprise of Bolikhamxay Province. The project covered 2 villages namely Chomthong Village and Thadphouvieng Village with a total construction period of 18 months, starting from November 2022 to April 2024. According to the efficient work of the project construction under the close supervision of the CDF Management Committee, the actual construction was completed before the target period of only 15 months.
After the construction period of 15 months, the project was successfully completed and 100% work was inspected on February 2, 2024. Therefore, a meeting was held to report 100% success in the implementation of the water system construction project at Chomthong Village, Viengthong District, Borikhamxay Province. In honor of the participation of Mr. Alounsak Phathamavong – Deputy Mayor of Viengthong District, as well as the Management Committees for Community Development Fund of the Nam Theun 1 Hydroelectric Project, relevant departments at the provincial and district levels, representatives from the Nam Theun 1 Power Co., Ltd (funder for the construction) and the local authorities to participate in inspecting the success of the construction. Currently, 181 houses have been installed with water meters, equivalent to 51% of the total number of 364 families, with a total population of 1,836 people. With the authority of provincial, district and local governments, they have closely cooperated to complete the project ahead of schedule. Mr. Khamsing Sayphoukham – Deputy Head of the Department of Energy and Mines of Bolikhamxay Province said at the end of the inspection, “I would like to express my gratitude to the party-state leadership at the provincial and district levels for their attention and guidance to make our project happen and be successful. What is important and indispensable is that Nam Theun 1 Power Company Limited has provided us with a budget so that this project can be completed according to the plan.”
According to the completion of the construction and various tasks, on February 17, 2024, at the office of Chomthong Village, there was an official ceremony of handing over the water supply project of Chomthong Village. With the honor of attending the ceremony, Ms. Sounthone Xayachack – Party Central Committee Secretariat, Standing Committee, and Vice President of National Assembly, Mr. Kongkeo Xaysongkham – Party Central Committee Member, Provincial Party Executive Committee Secretary, Bolikhamxay Provincial Governor, Mr. Souvanhnee Xaysana – Deputy Secretary of the Bolikhamxay Provincial Party, President of the People’s Council of Borikhamxay Province, as well as Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Management Committee for CDF and representatives of the Nam Theun 1 Power Co., Ltd led by Mr. Bounnhang Phengsouvanh – Government Relations Advisor and Executive Committee Member. In addition, there is a village organization, the people of Chomthong village and nearby along with invited guests and related parties to participate. At the end of the ceremony, Ms. Sounthone Xayachack emphasized the importance of this project, “This project is funded by the Community Development Fund of the Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project which has created clean water for the people to use for daily living, and the people of Comthong Village and surrounding villages will have a water system for household use for food. This is good news and creates conditions for Chomthong Village to become a town in the countryside according to the party-state policy. Also, it is a significant step of Chomthong Village and the surrounding community to grow according to the economic condition of the community, especially according to the goal of reducing poverty and escaping from an underdeveloped country.”
Mr. Bounnhang Phengsouvanh – Government Relations Advisor and Executive Committee Member of Nam Theun 1 Power Co., Ltd said on behalf of the funder for the water supply project, “On behalf of Nam Theun 1 Power Company Limited, I am very proud to have contributed to the development and completion of this project and would like to take this opportunity to thank the Management Committee Secretariat of the community development fund of the Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project by arranging funds for the development of the community related to the priorities of the project and carry out various project activities using community development funds in Viengthong and Pakkading districts as well as Bolikhamxay province together with the CDF management committee at the district level and to use the funds to develop other aspects as specified in the concession agreement and to ensure that the people in the target villages of the project get the most benefit from the Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project”.
“Thank you to the Party-State for helping to build and develop the infrastructure of Chomthong Village into a small town in the countryside. In the past, Chomthong Village did not have clean water to use, so they brought water from the big river to use. But now Chomthong has received the water supply system project and have clean water for consumption which the people of Chomthong village are very happy. In the future, I really hope that Chomthong Village will be developed and expand water supply for the people to use for all families” said by Mr. Keoduangxay – District Party Committee, Chief of Chomthong Village
“In 2024, the Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project, which has an obligation to provide funding after the Commercial Operation Date (COD) in the amount of 1,000,000 dollars per year. In the past year, the said funds were allocated to Bolikhamxay Province and in 2024 it was used in Viengthong District, and this is the first project to use the budget from the Community Development Fund (CDF) by Nam Theun 1 Power Co., Ltd to contribute to the development of Chomthong Village in Viengthong District. This success is one of the prides of the Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project, which has been involved in contributing to the development of Viengthong district, which is Chomthong village this time” said by Mr. Bounpenh Duangmala – Social Manager of Nam Theun 1 Power Co., Ltd, in Viengthong District, Bolikhamxay Province.
Follow the below links for more information about the Chomthong water supply construction project:
- ສະຖານີ-ວິທະຍຸ ເມືອງ ວຽງທອງ: https://bit.ly/3SO9e3V
- ຂ່າວ ແຂວງບໍລິຄຳໄຊ: https://bit.ly/4bqHFoJ & https://bit.ly/3Ias7bv
- https://bit.ly/3T6j7dt & https://bit.ly/3T6rGVG