Chairman of Tien Giang Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Vinh has just issued a decision to announce an emergency situation regarding natural disasters such as saltwater intrusion and lack of domestic water during the dry season of 2024 in Tan Phu Dong district.

Accordingly, the Chairman of Tien Giang Provincial People's Committee requested that urgent measures be applied immediately to respond to and overcome the consequences in order to prevent and minimize damage caused by natural disasters.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is assigned to preside over and coordinate with the People's Committee of Tan Phu Dong district and relevant agencies and units to organize the transportation of fresh water (raw fresh water with salinity less than 100 mgCl-/liter) to water reservoirs in Tan Phu Dong district, serving the maintenance of production activities and domestic water for local people in accordance with the provisions of law.

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Image of drought in Gia Thuan commune (Go Cong Dong, Tien Giang). Photo: Nguyen Hue

At the same time, the Department must survey and select the transportation location and transportation time, ensuring the transportation of fresh water to supplement water into water reservoirs to ensure timely supply of domestic water to people in Tan Phu Dong district in a reasonable, effective, economical and waste-free manner. Closely monitor the salinity situation to consider ending early or extending the transportation time of fresh water.

The head of Tien Giang Provincial People's Committee directed to widely announce on mass media about the situation of saltwater intrusion and lack of domestic water in the dry season of 2024 in Tan Phu Dong district so that people and organizations know and proactively implement appropriate measures in production and daily life.

Tien Giang is a province that is being affected by drought and lack of water resources in the Eastern region.

In recent days, severe drought and salinity have caused canals to dry up, affecting the lives of people in Tien Giang.

In Tan Phu Dong district, canal and pond water sources have become salty and exhausted, while people's water demand is increasing very high.

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People collect water from public taps and then carry it home to pour into jars for use. Photo: HT

People are focusing on tap water, leading to many areas lacking domestic water. Tan Phu Dong District authorities have requested the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to advise the Provincial People's Committee to support the district in transporting fresh water by barge to pump into Phu Thanh and Tan Thoi ponds.

Tien Giang province has opened dozens of public water taps for free use by people but still cannot solve the water shortage problem.

Extreme thirst, carrying a can to catch 'treasure as precious as gold'

In extreme thirst, people in the West flocked to bring plastic cans to collect free fresh water for use, this is considered a treasure as precious as gold in this 2020 drought and salinity season.