Proactively respond to drought

Water shortage

Many localities in the province are facing water shortages during the peak of the dry season, which greatly affects people's lives, agricultural production and poses a high risk of forest fires.

According to the review results of the Rural Clean Water Center, the whole province has 7 rural water supply projects that are lacking water to serve the domestic water needs of the people. Of which, Lam Binh district has 6 projects including: Tho Binh commune water supply project, Lang Can town, Phuc Yen commune, Xuan Lap commune, Thuong Lam commune, Binh An commune. Son Duong district has Ninh Lai commune water supply project. The water level on Lo river is also at its lowest level in many years.

The management board of Nhu Han - Nhu Khe clean water project (Yen Son) checks the water pumping system to ensure smooth operation to serve the people.

As the dry and hot weather is expected to continue in the coming months, plans to prevent drought and water shortages need to be proactively implemented. Comrade Luc Quang Ly, Head of the Ninh Lai Commune Irrigation Management Board, said: “The water shortage in the dry season this year is more serious than in the same period many years ago. The water level in reservoirs and dams is low, some reservoirs only reach about 30-40% of their design capacity, which greatly affects the water supply for agricultural production. Currently, we are coordinating with the villages to closely monitor the situation, and at the same time implement water-saving measures such as rotating water intake, dredging intra-field canals to reduce loss…”.

Mr. Pham Van Vinh, group 4, Nong Tien ward (Tuyen Quang city), who has lived on the Lo river for more than 30 years, shared: “I have never seen a dry season where the water level has dried up so quickly and dropped as low as this year. The water level drops visibly every day, sometimes we have to dismantle the fish rafts to find deeper water so that the fish do not suffocate. The farmed fish grow slowly, and sometimes they even die due to lack of oxygen, and the river water is turbid and hotter than usual. In the past, every year during the dry season, the water level also decreased, but not as severe as now. In recent years, the weather has been erratic, with little rain and prolonged sunshine, affecting not only fish farmers but also corn and vegetable growers on both sides of the riverbank, who are also suffering from lack of irrigation water.”

The El Nino phenomenon is causing significant weather fluctuations with a sharp decrease in rainfall and higher average temperatures than in previous years. The water shortage is putting heavy pressure on agricultural production, while threatening the daily lives of thousands of households, especially in highland and riverside areas. Many reservoirs, rivers and domestic water sources in the area have dropped to record lows, posing a serious risk of water insecurity if there are no timely response measures. According to the forecast of the Provincial Hydrometeorological Station, this year's dry season is expected to last long, the shortage of additional water sources has affected both surface water and groundwater, negatively affecting production and people's lives.

Proactive response

It is forecasted that from now until June, the drought situation will continue and become more severe. This means that many areas in the province will have localized water shortages.

Faced with the risk of continued drought in 2025, the People's Committee of Tuyen Quang province has issued a document requesting the implementation of urgent measures to promptly respond to water shortages. The document requires the People's Committees of districts and cities to proactively and effectively implement the directions of the Central and the province, focusing on ensuring water sources for agricultural production, people's lives and preventing and combating drought in the dry season.

Water shortages cause rice fields to crack, making agricultural production difficult.

Localities are required to proactively allocate funds from budget reserves, prioritizing drought-fighting activities such as dredging canals, repairing irrigation works, drilling wells, and bringing water to scarce areas, while also saving and distributing water reasonably.

Along with that, the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Provincial Center for Hydrometeorology are responsible for closely monitoring the water situation, continuously updating the developments of drought, especially the impact on production and daily life. Functional units are also assigned the task of inventorying and reviewing all existing water sources, developing and updating plans to prevent heat, drought and water shortages suitable for each weather scenario, to be proactive in all situations.

Mr. Tran Trung Bac, Deputy Director of the Rural Clean Water Center (Department of Agriculture and Environment) said: “At 7 water supply works managed by the unit that are lacking water to serve the people, the Center has a plan to pump water from neighboring works to supply to households, for distant works, specialized vehicles will be used to supply water. On that basis, the Center will use the drought prevention reserve fund to repair water supply works, increasing the exploitation capacity to serve the people”.

Faced with unusual weather conditions, water shortages and droughts will continue to occur in the coming time. Proactively developing response scenarios, strengthening forecasting, managing and using water resources appropriately are the keys to minimizing damage. This is not only the task of authorities at all levels, but each individual and community also needs to participate in changing habits, raising awareness of saving and protecting water resources - a precious resource of life.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/chu-dong-ung-pho-voi-kho-han-209859.html