Khounkham District, July 26, 2017
Residents of the newly-built village of Phaxang in Khounkham District, Khammouane, have officially taken ownership of their houses and public facilities.
Phaxang, built by the Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC) as compensation for longer annual flood periods, groups five small communities that were formerly in Hinboun District. At a ceremony organised by district authorities with THPC, villagers received technical documentation for the infrastructure built at the village.
Phaxang is named after an elephant-shaped limestone cliff that dominates the skyline outside the village, famed for a holy cave found near its summit. It is now home to over 350 households, which have good quality houses equipped with toilets, running water and electricity. The village features all-weather access roads, a new temple, village hall and two irrigation schemes. THPC also built two schools and a health centre, which were transferred to the authorities last year. The total cost of the infrastructure was almost US$3.9 million.
People from Phahang Tai, Phahang Neua, Thana Tai, Thana Neua and Phachoua moved to the new site in 2014 and 2015. The Theun-Hinboun hydropower expansion project, inaugurated in 2013, intensifies the natural flood cycles on the Hinboun River, so THPC has built new houses and amenities on higher ground for villages along the river.
As noted by Mr Oday Soudaphone, Governor of Khammouane Province, the area became part of the new Khounkham District when it was created in 2010 in recognition of the economic development and growing population along the upper Hinboun following the success of the Theun-Hinboun projects. At the Phaxang handover ceremony, Mr Khamsy thanked THPC for its thorough approach to compensating villages along the river and for working with local communities and authorities to build a sustainable future for people in the province.
THPC Deputy General Manager, Mr Soulideth Baomanikhoth, remarked that the people of Phaxang were adapting well to the new site, which already looked like a prosperous and well-managed village, and said that THPC would continue to work with local authorities to support communities in the project area.