VietNamNet Bridge – With no electricity, Cu Lao Xanh remains an isolated isle which cannot attract tourists.

Part 2: The tourism paradise lacks… chairs
Part 1: The precious gem under the beauty’s pillow

Residents in Cu Lao Xanh, for the last many years, have been dreaming of electricity. A project on brining electricity to the isle by underground cable, capitalized at roughly 200 billion dong would help them change their lives.

However, instead of the project worth 200 billion dong, they would receive a project which is double that sum. Instead of the electricity project that can lighten the isle, local residents would receive a project on building a fresh water reservoir that they don’t need.

Unnecessary and redundant

Cu Lao Xanh deserves to be called a “tourism paradise” not only because of its beauty, but also because of the profuse fresh water source – the gift of the nature. All the households in the isle have a fresh water well which provides enough water for their daily lives.

When reporters said to Khanh, Deputy Chair of the Nhon Chau commune people’s committee that Cu Lao Xanh is so lucky to have limpid water, Khanh suddenly sit dumbfounded.

It seemed that the official of the commune authorities did not take pride of the fresh water resource in his locality. And he said: “Nhon Chau is a poor commune. And we would appreciate all the things to be given to us. However, it seems to be a waste of money if building a water reservoir here.”

Khanh used the word “waste of money” when talking about the water reservoir. However, the reporters could understand that Cu Lao Xanh’s residents do not need the reservoir, because they have fresh water in abundance already.

What the local residents want now is an electricity project. However, no one has promised such a “gift” to them, though the local authorities, which have been aware of their great advantages in developing tourism, have many times asked for the a power project, estimated to cost over 100 billion dong.

However, they would not receive what they want, but would receive what they don’t need.

A high school, why not?

There is a two story building on the isle, called the center for community activities. There is a room for people to read book, and there is a class to teach informatics to local residents, even though there is no electricity.

However, the center has been used as the place to keep farmers’ coracles because no community activities have taken place there so far. People here leave for the open sea in the morning and only return in the evening, and they do not have time for the “community activities”. Therefore, the only function of the center is just for keeping coracles.

Meanwhile, the isle is thirsty for a high school. In fact, the isle doesn’t need a big school, but it just needs three classrooms for 10th, 11th and 12th graders. At present, 60 high school students now have to stay in Quy Nhon to study at the schools there.

The spacious road with no people

Local residents have been told that they would have a big 4-lane road in 2013. However, it seems that the road is too luxurious if compared with the cramped and low-roofed houses of the local people.

The people here wish that the road was one meter narrower. If so, they would have electricity from the national grid. They also wish that the road was 100 meters shorter. If so, they would have enough money to build three classrooms for high school students. And they keep wishing…

Dan Viet