To combat salinity, Tien Giang Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited has just organized the operation of decanting water at Xuan Hoa sluice, with salinity less than 2g/l . Currently, Xuan Hoa sluice takes in 900 to 1 million m3 of salinity less than 1.5 grams/liter every day.
Frustrated by the drought and salinity, Mr. Le Tan Thanh Binh, a farmer in Xuan Dong commune (Cho Gao district), installed a pipe to take salt water from Xuan Hoa sewer to water his plants. Photo: T.D
Frustrated by drought and salinity, should we take water from Xuan Hoa sluice to water plants?
According to Mr. Le Tan Thanh Binh, a farmer in Xuan Dong commune (Cho Gao district), salt water after passing through Xuan Hoa sluice has been flowing into Xuan Dong commune since April 3 until now.
For the past few days, every morning Mr. Binh has been going to the canal to test the salinity of the water and then taking it into the lake to treat it before watering the ornamental plants, grapefruit and coconut gardens. This morning, April 7, the salinity in the canal in Xuan Dong commune was 1.23 parts per 1,000.
"Here, farmers have to rush to get water in the morning, otherwise by the afternoon all the water will flow to the eastern districts," said Mr. Binh.
According to Mr. Binh, because he works in growing ornamental plants, before the salt water from Xuan Hoa sluice poured in, the Tien Giang Provincial Ornamental Plants Association advised him to limit the use of salt water to water his ornamental plants, because the plants are sensitive to salt water.
In Go Cong Tay district, Mr. Mai Duc Tan, Deputy Director of Go Cong Tay District Agricultural Service Center, said that saltwater from Xuan Hoa sluice has now flowed into the locality.
People in the drought-stricken and saline-affected areas of Tien Giang must check the salinity of water from Xuan Hoa sluice before using it. Photo: T.D
Some main canals in the fields, which had run out of water a few days ago, have now risen 3-4cm. However, those are the main canals, while most of the smaller ones are still dry and have not received water from Xuan Hoa sluice.
Mr. Tan said that low saline water from Xuan Hoa sluice will mix with saline water in the canal in the area to produce water with an average salinity of 1.5g/l.
"People are taking advantage of the salt water from Xuan Hoa sluice to water plants and for daily activities in the hope of overcoming this year's drought," Mr. Tan confided.
However, according to Mr. Nguyen Van Tot, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thanh Nhut Commune (Go Cong Tay District), although water from Xuan Hoa sluice has reached the locality, Mr. Tot recommends that farmers do not bring water into their gardens or use it to irrigate plants, especially grapefruit and coconut. Currently, Thanh Nhut Commune has about 400 hectares of coconut trees and more than 30 hectares of green-skin grapefruit trees.
"The salt water from Xuan Hoa sluice can only be used to prevent erosion of canals and ditches, but cannot be used to water plants. I think that with the current salinity of the water, if it is used to water grapefruit or coconut trees, there is a high chance that the trees will drop young fruit," Mr. Tot shared.
The main canals in Go Cong Tay district, which were dry due to drought and salinity, now have water flowing from Xuan Hoa sluice. Photo: T.D
Anti-salinity with salt water
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang province, Tien Giang Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited has organized the operation of water collection and decantation at Xuan Hoa sluice since the evening of April 3 with the salinity taken at the sluice controlled to be less than 2.0g/l; the water level on the main canals and side canals maintained to be less than -0.3m.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang province explained that the purpose of decanting fresh water into the fields is to raise the water level on the main canals and side canals in the "Go Cong Sweetening" project area with the goal of lowering the temperature caused by the hot weather.
At the same time, limit the occurrence of internal alum and salinity in the soil and the salinity from the river seeping into the project area, affecting the water quality for production and daily life of the people.
On the other hand, this also helps to minimize the situation of landslides on canal and ditch banks that can occur when the water level in the fields is getting lower and lower.
Xuan Hoa sluice is providing water to the "Go Cong Freshwater" Project area to combat drought and salinity in 2024. Photo: T.D
According to Mr. Do Thanh Son, Deputy Director of Tien Giang Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited, the current "Go Cong Sweetening" Project area has internal saline water arising from the seepage of alum soil from the outside at over 2g/l and pollution, and the dikes are over 5g/l. Water is taken in to improve the environment, hold back several alum layers, and limit landslides. Even water with a salinity of 2g/l can still irrigate dragon fruit trees and grass very well.
On April 5, Chairman of Tien Giang Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Vinh issued Decision 586/QD-UBND on announcing an emergency situation regarding natural disasters of saltwater intrusion and lack of domestic water in the dry season of 2024 in Tan Phu Dong district.
Source
Comment (0)