Dak Lak
tourism hit by hydropower needs
Since
hydro-power plants were built on the Serepok River, the 20km segment running
through Daklak Province – the kingdom of tamed elephants in Vietnam – has
dried up, causing problems for the local tourism industry and local people.
The Serepok
River at present.
For the Ede
ethnic people, to set up a village, the first criterion is close to the
source of water. Thus, for centuries, the Serepok River has been an ideal
place for settlement.
The Serepok
River provides drinking water, irrigation water, and fish to Ede people. The
river is also the origin of the traditional rituals such as the water
worshiping rite.
However,
since 2014 when the Serepok 4A hydropower plant became operational, the lives
of the local people have been reversed.
The river
has dried up, causing water shortage for hundreds of households in the
communes of Ea Wer and Krong Na. The households who earn their living by
fishing in the river are unemployed.
Mr. Y
Thanh, a resident of Na Ven Hamlet, Ea Wer Commune, Buon Don District, said:
"I was born and grew up in this land. For decades I've never seen such
intense drought here. Everything lacks water. The vibrant life on this river
is now only in our memories. The villagers are very sad and worried because
if this situation prolongs, our lives will be affected terribly;"
Y Si That
Ksor, Vice Chairman of Buon Don district, said: "By design, when put
into operation, hydropower plants will still discharge water at the speed of
135 m3 per second, enough to sustain life in the Serepok River. But in fact the
water volume discharged to the environment is too low, less than 10 m3 per
second so the majestic Serepok River has gradually become a dead river,
whereby the ecosystems are ruined."
Tourism
also suffers
A suspension
bridge crossing the dried river
Buon Don
District is known by local and foreign tourists for its cultural, eco-tourism
associated with the river, forests, elephants ... Yet now tourists are
disappointed.
"A few
years ago, when I went to Buon Don, I was so excited for the gorgeous
landscapes of the central highlands. But I’m really shocked this time. I did
not imageine that everything here can degrade like this. The river is dried
up to the bottom. This place is no longer is a beautiful site," said Ms.
Nguyen Xuan Loan, a tourist from HCM City.
Mr. Nguyen
Duc, a representative of the Don Village Tourism Center, Saudi previously the
number of tourists coming to Don Village was stable. Since the hydropower
plants became operational, the local tourism industry has faced a lot of
difficulties. The local tourism sector is largely based on the river and the
eco-system but the river is no longer full with water as before. Travel firms
have repeatedly asked the hydropower plants to discharge more water for the
river, but drought keeps taking place.
"I’ve never
seen such difficulties for the tourism agencies of Buon Don. The number of
tourists fell sharply and the time of stay. Our company's revenue fell more
than 50% since hydropower plants in the Serepok River operated. A majority of
tourists said they were disappointed because the ecosystem was destroyed and
polluted," said Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, director of a travel company.
Pha
Le, VNN
|
Thứ Tư, 16 tháng 3, 2016
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