Directive No. 200-TTg on Ensuring Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas issued by the Prime Minister

DIRECTIVE

ENSURING CLEAN WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION IN RURAL AREAS

The State has promulgated the Health Protection Law, the Environmental Protection Law, and numerous regulatory documents concerning the provision of clean water for rural and mountainous areas; the protection of water sources, water supply systems, drainage systems, sanitation facilities, and the implementation of public health regulations in urban and rural areas. However, the results of implementation in many localities are still limited. Many rural areas still face significant difficulties with drinking water and domestic water use. Surface water in canals, ditches, ponds, and lakes in many places is heavily polluted. Underground water sources are also not immune to salinization and acidification; water reserves have been depleted due to excessive exploitation.

To address the aforementioned situation, ensure the provision of clean water, gradually improve living and working conditions for the majority of our people in rural areas, the Prime Minister issues the following directive:

1. Clarify the task of providing clean water for Rural Areas

It is necessary to deeply understand that contaminated water for daily use is a major cause of diseases, affecting the health and labor productivity of the people, causing malnutrition among children, and having long-term impacts on future generations. Each sector and locality must review their responsibilities, formulate practical programs and measures, and provide specific guidance and updates to ensure clean water for rural residents, focusing on the following two categories:

a) Regarding the protection of clean water

• Implement the rural clean water program: each province, district, commune, and village must have specific plans and timelines to prioritize areas with favorable conditions, aiming for 100% of rural households to have sanitary toilets that meet environmental standards, eliminating the practice of indiscriminate defecation or dumping dead animals into rivers, streams, canals, ditches, ponds, and lakes which pollute water sources.

• Implement measures to treat and store clean water such as drilling wells, installing water filters, collecting rainwater, and storing it in various containers like jars, pots, and water purifiers.

• Prohibit the use of fresh manure for fertilizing crops or raising fish in rivers, streams, and public ponds. In households implementing the VAC program (raising fish using manure), it is strictly forbidden to use pond water for washing rice, vegetables, other food items, and bathing.

Strictly prohibit the discharge of untreated domestic wastewater, hospital wastewater, and industrial wastewater into rivers and streams, thereby contaminating downstream water sources and coastal areas.

b) Regarding the assurance of hygiene for fresh fruits and vegetables

• Closely monitor the importation and carefully guide the storage and use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and plant growth stimulants.

• Apply advanced cultivation techniques to establish clean vegetable belts (without the use of chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and prohibiting the use of fresh manure) in localities, initially in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and other large cities within provinces.

2. To implement the above tasks, the Prime Minister assigns the following responsibilities to Ministries and sectors:

a) The Ministry of Construction shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment to immediately review the guidance on implementing the task of providing clean water and rural sanitation that has been assigned, including delays in planning, promoting construction, and implementing the overall plan for providing domestic water in rural areas.

Article 1 ||| The rural clean water supply program must be closely integrated with the urban and industrial area clean water supply programs to ensure a balanced water source for specific regions.

Close coordination between the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Construction in drilling wells funded by UNICEF to ensure the practical effectiveness of these wells.

b) The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, together with the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Food Industry, Construction, and the People's Committees of localities shall be responsible for:

• Organizing and directing campaigns to build hygienic and civilized rural lifestyles, quickly eliminating the practice of defecating in canals, streams, ponds, lakes, and fields.

• Researching and selecting appropriate toilet models for each region, organizing guidance on construction and use in households.

• Establishing clean food and vegetable belts around major cities (without using fresh manure for fertilization or fish farming, etc.).

c) The Ministry of Industry and Food Industry shall cooperate with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment and relevant central agencies to undertake the following tasks:

• Reviewing the list of plant protection chemicals, limiting and eventually eliminating highly toxic substances, promoting the production of less harmful biological pesticides.

• Strictly inspect agricultural products before they enter the market or are exported. Destroy any remaining vegetables containing chemical pesticide residues or mold, bacteria.

• Guiding farmers on the proper storage and use of chemicals used in industry.

• Guiding farmers on composting and only using composted manure that does not pollute water or air. Strictly prohibiting the use of fresh manure and imposing severe penalties for violations.

• Directing the planning and development of agriculture and rural areas in conjunction with environmental protection based on sustainable development principles.

d) The Ministry of Construction shall cooperate with the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Heavy Industry (Vietnam Geological Survey), and the National Center for Natural Sciences and Technology to develop a project for investigating and evaluating surface and groundwater resources suitable for drinking and domestic use in rural areas. Existing hydrological data should be utilized, with supplementary investigations conducted only where surveys have not been completed, particularly focusing on hydrogeological investigations due to underground water being the main source of clean water.

đ) The hydrogeological associations under the Vietnam Geological Survey shall be responsible for providing geological materials and cross-sections for groundwater drilling units at each location regarding the depth and thickness of freshwater aquifers, quantities of extractable water, reasonable daily and nightly extraction rates, and measures to prevent salinization and acidification of freshwater layers.

e) The Ministry of Construction, provincial Construction Departments, and Transportation Departments shall guide localities in maintaining and managing drilling equipment, pumps, constructing and utilizing various types of water filtration tanks, storage tanks, rainwater collection tanks, water filters, etc.

g) The National Center for Natural Sciences and Technology shall lead research on water filtration and treatment equipment, materials, and technologies serving rural plains, mountainous areas, and other regions.

h) The State Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance, based on the overall rural water supply and environmental sanitation plan and the annual plan submitted by the Ministry of Construction (with comments from the Ministries of Science, Technology and Environment, Water Resources, Heavy Industry, and Health), shall balance all sources of funding and necessary conditions, including foreign financial support, for implementing the above plan to be considered and decided by the Government along with the annual socio-economic plan.

i) The Ministry of Culture and Information shall lead cooperation with mass media organizations at both central and local levels, as well as social sectors, primarily the Vietnam Farmers' Union, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Vietnam Women's Union, and the General Confederation of Labor Vietnam, in disseminating and educating about related legal regulations, raising public awareness and understanding of rural clean water and environmental sanitation work; regularly featuring special sections on environmental protection and rural sanitation in radio, television programs, and newspapers.

The Government welcomes and supports the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (Population Education - Health - Environment Center) in implementing pilot programs to ensure clean water in rural areas, with support from relevant government agencies.

j) The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall coordinate with relevant departments to immediately implement measures to ensure clean water and hygiene for fresh vegetables.

• Study and determine plans to ensure clean water for each region within localities, identifying appropriate forms suitable for each region (wells, tanks, etc.).

• Strictly control the discharge of pollutants according to current environmental standards.

• Organize civilized and hygienic living habits, eliminate bad customs (random defecation, using toilets for fish breeding, using fresh manure for field fertilization, etc.). Each commune should establish specific agreements (with penalty forms for violations) regarding the aforementioned matters.

Each province and centrally-administered city must immediately incorporate policies and measures to ensure clean water in rural areas into their 1994 plans for implementation in the remaining months of 1994 and preparation for the 1995 plan.

Ensuring clean water and protecting the environment in rural areas is the responsibility of all sectors, all levels of government, all organizations, and every citizen. Sectors and localities must take high responsibility and provide specific directives to implement the established program. This is an urgent issue that must be strictly and continuously organized.

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment shall be responsible for monitoring and reporting to the Government every six months on the implementation of this directive.