200 dams in Nghe An dry up after 1 month of extreme heat

Lake, dam bottom exposed

Vuc Mau Lake is one of the largest irrigation dams in Nghe An province with a capacity of over 75 million cubic meters of water, providing irrigation and domestic water for a prosperous residential area of ​​Hoang Mai town and Quynh Luu district. After a month of drought, the upstream area of ​​the lake in Quynh Thang and Tan Thang communes has dried up and cracked. The water level of the lake has dropped by several meters.

The upstream of Vuc Mau Lake has exposed and cracked bottom. Photo: Nhat Thanh

Mr. Mai Truong Phot, head of village 10, Quynh Trang commune, living next to the Vuc Mau lake dam, said: In the past ten years, this is the first time we have seen the water in Vuc Mau lake dry up like this.

In Nghi Loc district, the drought situation is no less severe. All small lakes and dams under the management of the commune are at low water levels. Worse, the water level in the Ke Gai and Cam rivers has dropped and saltwater intrusion has caused all five irrigation pumps on these two rivers to stop.

Mai Tan Dam in Nghia Hoan Commune, Tan Ky District is running out of water. Photo: Cam Tu

Mr. Nguyen Truong Thanh - Head of Nghe An Irrigation Sub-Department said: currently, some large lakes such as Vuc Mau (Hoang Mai Town), Khe Da (Nghia Dan), Nghi Van reservoir (Nghi Loc) ... water levels are decreasing sharply, some areas have exposed bottoms, water volume is only about 40-50% of capacity; if there is no additional water, it will be very dangerous. In addition, according to preliminary reports from localities as of June 26, about 200 small dams managed by localities are in a state of exhaustion with no water to pump.

A section of the Cam River through Nghi Thuan Commune is about to dry up. Although there is still water, due to the high salinity, people do not dare to pump it for irrigation. Photo: Nguyen Hai

In addition, this year, due to the lack of rain, the amount of water added to the dams is seriously lacking. In addition, the prolonged heat wave with high temperatures, combined with the hot and dry southwest wind from Laos, plus the effects of climate change and urbanization, causes the water in the dams to evaporate very quickly, causing serious water shortages for crops.

The largest lake in Nghe An at present is Ban Ve Hydropower Plant. Compared to previous years, the water level from upstream to Ban Ve Hydropower Plant has also decreased sharply, reaching only 12 - 50m.³/s compared to the annual water level of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant at the same time is 70 - 100m³/s. The water reserve of Ban Ve Lake is only 87 million m³ only 5% of the design capacity of 1.8 billion m³so the water level is close to dead water level.

Solutions to respond and mitigate damage

According to Mr. Nguyen Truong Thanh - Head of the Irrigation Sub-Department, added:Although the amount of water added to Ban Ve hydroelectric reservoir has decreased sharply, to save the rice, the province still requires Ban Ve hydroelectricity to maintain the discharge level of 120m.³/s to bring water downstream. However, pumping water to save rice from Lam River also encountered many difficulties. Due to the low water level and only taking advantage of low tide (salt water does not encroach), fresh water from downstream only then can Mu Ba sluice (Do Luong) and Nam Dan sluice be opened so that localities can take turns pumping for irrigation.

Building a dike to prevent saltwater intrusion from the Cam River at bridge N5, Nghi Thuan commune (Nghi Loc). Photo: Nguyen Hai

Since June 21, the Provincial People's Committee has issued an urgent dispatch requesting localities and Ban Ve Hydropower Plant to ensure discharge of 120 m³/s to have water for irrigation in the downstream. At the same time, assign irrigation companies and localities to dig canals, use mobile oil pumps, take advantage of hydropower to release water, open sluices to pump water to the fields in rotation to keep moisture, save possible rice areas and wait for better weather.

Ky Son Commune Power Dam is one of 80 dams in Tan Ky district that have run out of water due to the heat. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Along with the direction to pump water into the fields to keep the rice moist, the Provincial People's Committee also directed localities to prevent saltwater intrusion, regularly monitor to advise localities to pump water. The representative of the Irrigation Department admitted: if the heat wave lasts for about 10 more days, the damage to Nghe An's agriculture will be very severe. In the worst case and if the conditions are met according to regulations, the province will carry out the procedure to announce the damage caused by natural disasters such as drought.

Heat wave disaster risks include 3 levels: Level 1 is a heat wave with the highest temperature of the day reaching 39°C, 40°C, lasting from 5 to 10 days. Level 2 includes cases of heat waves with the highest temperature of the day reaching 39°C, 40°C, lasting more than 10 days or heat waves with the highest temperature of the day exceeding 40°C, lasting from 5 to 10 days. Level 3 occurs when a heat wave with the highest temperature of the day exceeding 40°C, lasting more than 10 days.

(Decision No. 44/2014/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister)