The Nuoc Trong reservoir in Tay Tra District is soon expected to rise to 108 meters, local authorities warned, while its capacity is 115.5 m.Many residents living near the facility have moved to higher places and built temporary houses, pending the allotment of a permanent resettlement area.
Ho Thi Ut, one such resident living in Nuoc Biec Hamlet, toldTuoi Tre: “We waited for three months but do not know when resettlement areas will be available. We therefore had to build temporary houses without electricity or water.
When the reservoir – and a 16 MW hydropower plant – was planned, land and houses to resettle 465 households were supposed to be available by last April, but only 194 families have so far been relocated.
Cao Van Liep, director of the project management unit, blamed this on a lack of funds.
While VND120 billion (US$5.77 million) was needed for compensation and building houses, only VND9 billion had been allotted, he said.
Each affected household was to be paid VND6 million in compensation, but many families said the money was only enough for a makeshift house.
Liep said 49 families lived close to the dam since they had not even been paid this compensation and they lacked the money to build a temporary shelter.
The PMU did not have funds to help them, he added.
Nuoc Trong reservoir, under construction since 2005 and scheduled to be completed next year, will also irrigate 53,000 hectares of farm lands and supply water to the Dung Quat Economic Zone, Tinh Phong Industrial Park, and Quang Ngai city.
T.T
(MONRE)