Support the development of small-scale irrigation, intra-field irrigation and advanced, water-saving irrigation

To promote the strong development of small-scale irrigation, intra-field irrigation, advanced irrigation, and water-saving irrigation, the 23rd Session - the regular year-end meeting of the Provincial People's Council will discuss and consider the draft Resolution stipulating the level of support for the development of small-scale irrigation, intra-field irrigation, and advanced irrigation, and water-saving irrigation in the province. This content, if approved, will contribute to the modernization of the agricultural sector, gradually reduce the rate of water use in agricultural production, and ensure water security to serve development needs.

The canal of Dong Y village (Viet Dan commune, Dong Trieu city) has only been partially solidified, mainly still being an earthen canal.

The canal of Dong Y village (Viet Dan commune, Dong Trieu city) is responsible for providing water for the high-quality rice production area D100 of the village. However, due to investment from 1999-2000, over a long period of use, this canal has increasingly degraded, especially in the last 5 years, causing difficulties in regulating irrigation water. In fact, most of the canal has broken mortar joints on both sides of the canal walls. Not only that, due to lack of synchronous investment, this canal has only been reinforced on the main route, while the "fishbone" routes leading to the fields are still small, narrow ditches, many sections covered by grass.

Mr. Nguyen Van Nhi, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Viet Dan Commune, said: Of the more than 10km of small irrigation canals and ditches managed by the commune, 70-80% have degraded. Every year, the budget for maintenance and repair of the canals is taken from the irrigation fee and rice cultivation fee of 80 million VND. This amount is only enough to hire people to cut grass, clean the environment and plaster damaged canal walls. Also because the canals are degraded, a large amount of water is lost, the water supply time is long, so it is costly in terms of operating labor and electricity, but the efficiency is not high.

Many canals in Mong Cai city are seriously degraded, causing large amounts of water loss during operation.

Not only Viet Dan commune, but in fact, most of the small irrigation works currently operating in the province are built by the locality and the people themselves. Some works were built a long time ago without design, lack of funds for regular maintenance, so they have degraded. In addition, the development of small irrigation, intra-field irrigation in mountainous areas also faces difficulties due to fragmented terrain, long canals, small service areas, so some localities do not have much funding to invest, maintain, and repair small irrigation systems, intra-field irrigation, etc.

Many canals are degraded and frequently have problems, greatly affecting crop productivity. (In photo: Yen Lap canal, Quang Yen town).

According to statistics from the Irrigation Sub-Department (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development), the irrigation system in the area currently has 188 irrigation reservoirs, 460 dams, 104 irrigation and drainage pumping stations and over 3,790km of various canals. The irrigation system has basically met the water needs for production and people's lives. However, due to the small irrigation system and intra-field irrigation invested and managed by grassroots irrigation organizations (communes, cooperatives, and cooperative groups), it has not received proper investment attention. Many intra-field canals have not been solidly invested and are still earthen canals, so the efficiency of water conduction is poor, there are many leaks causing large water losses and frequent incidents, which have greatly affected crop productivity.

To promote the effectiveness of irrigation works, the Provincial People's Committee has assigned the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to review and synthesize the support needs of localities and collect opinions and appraisals from units in accordance with regulations to develop a draft Resolution regulating the level of support for the development of small-scale irrigation, intra-field irrigation and advanced irrigation, saving water in the province to submit to the Provincial People's Council.

According to the draft, the Resolution will support 70% of the total investment value for construction works (excluding land acquisition costs) for culverts and canal reinforcement, and in mountainous areas, 90% of the total investment value for construction works (excluding land acquisition costs). The support condition is that the works with the tasks of water supply, irrigation, drainage and water drainage have a scale of less than 20 hectares for mountainous areas; 100 hectares for plain areas. At the same time, to ensure water security, encourage organizations and individuals to invest in applying advanced irrigation technology, improve product quality, the Resolution will also support 100% of the investment cost for design and construction machinery to build water storage works. For advanced irrigation, water saving, 50% of the cost of materials, construction machinery and equipment will be supported to invest in building advanced irrigation systems, saving water for dry crops, the support level does not exceed 40 million VND/ha; Support 50% of the cost to level the fields, the support level is not more than 10 million VND/ha. The total support demand is about 333 billion VND (average 66 billion VND/year), of which support for solidifying canals is 326 billion VND and over 7 billion VND to support advanced, water-saving irrigation systems.

The subjects of application are grassroots irrigation organizations, individuals who are members of grassroots irrigation organizations and organizations and individuals involved in investment, construction, management and exploitation of small irrigation works, intra-field irrigation and advanced irrigation, water saving in the province.

Mr. Doan Manh Phuong, Head of the Irrigation Sub-Department, emphasized: We really hope that the policy will be approved by the Provincial People's Council at the meeting at the end of this year. If approved, over 300km of canals (mainly earthen canals) will be invested in solidification and about 180ha of the province's key crops and crops in concentrated production areas will be invested in advanced irrigation systems. This will contribute to the modernization of the agricultural sector, gradually reduce the rate of water use in agricultural production, ensure water security to serve the needs of industrial development, daily life and tourism services, especially in the current conditions of drought, water shortage, and unusual climate change.

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