Strengthening drought and water shortage prevention to serve summer-autumn crop production

DNO - The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has just issued an official dispatch on strengthening the implementation of solutions to prevent and combat drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion, serving agricultural production in the summer-autumn crop in 2024.

Video: HOANG HIEP

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development assigned the Irrigation Sub-Department to coordinate with Da Nang Irrigation Exploitation Company Limited and related units and localities to inspect, review, and advise the department to update and supplement appropriate drought prevention plans.

Units and localities implementing drought prevention plans and planning to prepare for drought prevention must urgently develop and send information on drought prevention irrigation area locations, water sources, drought prevention measures, etc. to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as a basis for inspection and proposal to the City People's Committee for drought prevention support.

Da Nang Irrigation Exploitation Company Limited urgently implemented a number of solutions to overcome the consequences of salinity intrusion at Tuy Loan pumping station such as checking drainage axes and lakes that can take water in the area to set up a field pumping station to take water to fight drought.

For areas without alternative surface water sources, the company reviews and proposes suitable irrigation and drought-fighting solutions such as drilling wells for irrigation or other solutions.

The company coordinated with the Irrigation Department to continue monitoring the salinity at a location 2km upstream of Tuy Loan pumping station, where the proposed field pumping station is to be installed, to ensure efficiency after investment.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development assigned the Da Nang Irrigation Exploitation Company Limited to review drainage axes and ponds that can take water in the area where the field pumping station is located to take water to fight drought. Photo: HOANG HIEP

Previously, through monitoring the operation of A Vuong and Song Bung 4 hydropower plants from May 30 to June 4, 2024, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development found that these two hydropower plants both operated to discharge water downstream with a flow rate much lower than the minimum level prescribed according to the inter-reservoir operation process on the Vu Gia - Thu Bon river basin (discharged less than 24.93 million m3 ^of water).

The above situation combined with hot weather caused deep saltwater intrusion into Cam Le, Tuy Loan and Yen rivers downstream of An Trach dam, causing severe damage to the newly sown summer-autumn rice area, affecting agricultural production in the downstream area of Vu Gia river as well as affecting the domestic water supply for Da Nang city.

To ensure water supply for agricultural production and daily life in the city, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has sent a document requesting the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Da Nang city, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quang Nam province to request hydropower reservoir owners to comply with the regulations of the inter-reservoir operation process on the Vu Gia - Thu Bon river basin.