Closing the main canal of the Northern Nghe An Irrigation System: Proactively storing water for production and people's lives

Tang Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh) has 230 hectares of rice, of which 90% depends on the natural flow of the Northern Irrigation System. Ms. Truong Thi Phuong, an agricultural official of the commune, said: Spring rice harvest began on May 14, which means the summer-autumn rice seedling sowing schedule will be between May 15-20.

The waterlogging will not only make it difficult to bring in harvesters for the spring crop, but also make it difficult to prepare the land and sow rice seedlings on time. Faced with this situation, the commune has assigned hamlets from May 8 to focus on bringing water into the fields, building embankments and dikes to prevent water loss, both to retain water for the harvest and to be able to sow rice seedlings for the summer-autumn crop.

In the 2022 summer-autumn crop, people in many localities in Dien Chau and Yen Thanh districts have reserved land for early seeding of the summer-autumn crop with the motto "wherever the spring crop is harvested, the summer-autumn crop is planted". Photo courtesy of Phu Huong

Since May 10, some areas of Yen Thanh district have begun to be harvested, however, in the whole district, the concentrated harvest will begin from May 15-25. The difficulty for this locality is that many areas of rice fields are deeply flooded, making it difficult for harvesters to operate if there is a lack of water, and it is also necessary to sow the summer-autumn crop early to avoid late-season flooding.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duong - Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee said: The district has widely informed all organizations and individuals about the water closing schedule as well as propagated and directed water storage.

“We have directed water plants to check reservoirs early, thereby proactively ensuring adequate water storage to meet people’s needs. At the same time, while taking advantage of water to the fields, we have built embankments to retain water in the fields, both for spring rice harvest and summer-autumn rice sowing; and built and blocked canals, ponds and lakes to store and raise water levels,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Duong.

The Northern Irrigation System will be closed for construction from May 10-30. Photo courtesy of Phu Huong

Dien Chau district has 4,500/9,000 hectares of rice in key rice communes Minh Chau, Dien Nguyen, Dien Thai, Dien Dong, Dien Quang... that depend entirely on the self-flowing system. From May 15, Dien Chau district began the mass harvest.

To be proactive and overcome the difficulties caused by water shortage, Dien Chau district has focused on directing communes to propagate and advise people to store water in fields, canals, and ponds to be able to sow and nurture 350 hectares of summer-autumn rice seedlings. "We recommend that people sow rice seedlings in areas near water sources and canals; both having water to sow rice seedlings and being able to take advantage of and draw water to irrigate and nurture rice seedlings. At the same time, we direct cooperatives, water plants, and people to have plans to store water for production and people's lives," said Mr. Le The Hieu.

According to Ms. Vo Thi Nhung - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the water closing schedule is based on the actual production of spring and summer-autumn crops in districts using water from the Northern Irrigation System. "Every year at this time, we have to close the water for construction works. This year, the water closing period lasts for 20 days to create conditions for construction units to complete the project of Restoring and Upgrading the Northern Irrigation System. Before May 10, there was still a need for irrigation water for late-flowering areas; and currently, the rice has entered the waxy stage, starting to ripen, some areas are ready for harvest, the need for irrigation water is not much", Ms. Vo Thi Nhung said.

In addition to focusing on harvesting spring rice, the water-closure period is also the time to plant seedlings and prepare the land for the summer-autumn crop. Localities, depending on the specific conditions of each region, need to direct and advise people to plant seedlings simultaneously, so that they can plant concentratedly, quickly and as soon as possible when there is water. Take advantage of the returning water, the remaining water in the fields, ponds, lakes, and surrounding canals to irrigate the seedlings. When harvesting spring rice, do not drain the water but retain the water in the fields to facilitate the harvest as well as later prepare the land for the summer-autumn crop.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection.