A village in the central Ha Tinh Province is reporting a rising number of cancer-related deaths while local authorities have yet to find a solution.

The groundwater looks like it could be contaminated

Residents in Trung Trinh Village, Viet Xuyen Commune, have lived with deep concerns about their health for 10 years. There are 230 households in the village, two-thirds of which are badly affected by three old pesticide storage sites.

Le Cong Dung, a villager, said, "We often store rainwater for daily use because the wells may have been contaminated. We can't even dig a lake for fishing. After one metre deep, you can easily smell the pesticide. The groundwater looks like it could be contaminated."

Many households have left the village while other households don't have the financial capacity or anywhere else to go to. After Tran Duong and his wife both died of cancer several years ago, their children abandoned the house and left.

Nguyen Phung Duong, head of Trung Trinh Village, said they had reported and asked for help from higher authorities multiple times but no long-term solution has been found. The only accepted proposal is to provide the villagers with fresh water which was carried out since 2014.

Tran Sy Anh, chairman of Viet Xuyen Commune, said, "Water and land samples have been taken for tests. The locals are warned against using underground water or plant crops in the village. Someone suggested relocating the whole village."

However, he went on to say that they still hadn't found any solution to lower the number of cancer-related deaths.

The provincial authorities and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment are working together on a project to improve the environment at 16 villages affected by pesticide storage. Trung Trinh Village will be given priority due to its severe pollution.

But while waiting for the project, the villagers still live with pollution. The elderly villagers said they only hoped that their children would be able to live healthier lives.

Lao Dong/Dtinews