Water levels in rivers in Nghe An are very tense.

On the afternoon of July 2, the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment had a working program with Nghe An province on monitoring water security for production, daily life and dam safety management.

The delegation was led by Comrade Phung Quoc Hien - Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly. The delegation included members of the Party Central Committee: Phan Xuan Dung - Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment; Nguyen Duc Hai - Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Finance and Budget; and Comrade Nguyen Hoang Hiep - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development... On Nghe An's side, there were Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Nguyen Van De - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Photo: Pham Bang

If you don't plan long term, there will be a water shortage.

Reporting to the monitoring delegation, comrade Nguyen Van De - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the province currently has 1,061 irrigation reservoirs, including 396 dams; 2 irrigation systems including the Southern Irrigation System and the Northern Irrigation System; 19 hydroelectric reservoirs.

By 2019, the province had invested in and put into use 510 centralized domestic water supply works, with a total designed capacity of nearly 70,000 m3/day and night, ensuring domestic water for about 100,000 households in the province. It is estimated that by the end of 2020, 85% of the rural population will use hygienic domestic water.

There are about 100 damaged dams in the province that need upgrading and repair but there is no funding yet. Localities have seriously carried out inspections of works before the rainy season, assessing the current status of irrigation works in the area.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long spoke at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

However, according to comrade Nguyen Hoang Hiep - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, irrigation reservoirs in Nghe An only have 535 million m3 of water, which is small, while the demand is very large because 80% of Nghe An's population is in rural areas.

“Currently, Nghe An province needs 2.6 billion m3 of water each year, and in the next 5 years, the demand will be 3.2 billion m3/year. Without long-term planning, there will be a water shortage. Currently, new irrigation works can only ensure 55% of irrigation, if the Ban Mong project is put into operation, this rate will increase by 10%. Water security for Nghe An is the present, not the future,” said Deputy Minister Hiep.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that water security in Nghe An is the present, not the future. Photo: Pham Bang

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development assessed that climate change is affecting Nghe An very quickly. The situation of lowering water levels in rivers in Nghe An province is also tense. The upstream sluices in Nam Dan are all bare bottomed, or very low.

Besides, due to climate change, Nghe An is also affected by saltwater intrusion, also severe. The province is studying the construction of a dam to prevent saltwater intrusion on Lam River, otherwise, at peak, saltwater intrusion will reach 40km.

NGHE AN MUST BE MORE DETERMINED

The inspection team inspected the Ban Mong reservoir project. Photo: Pham Bang

To ensure water security, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development suggested that, in terms of planning, Nghe An is mainly located in the Ca River basin, but there is no complete measurement data. Therefore, the province must monitor and have measurement data of the Ca River and other rivers.

In addition, the demand for water in the downstream area is increasing, as the province is tending to increase the proportion of industry and services. Therefore, the transformation of the province's crop structure must have a longer-term vision, 20 years, even 50 years.

“The province needs to build additional irrigation works to both cut floods and ensure water sources for downstream areas. Research on building reservoirs upstream of the Ban Mong reservoir project. This will both regulate floods and provide water in the area.”

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep

Regarding dam safety, Nghe An has 100 dams in the unsafe list that need to be repaired, including 10 especially dangerous dams in the list of 200 dangerous dams nationwide. At the same time, there are still 23 large dams under commune management, which is not okay.

According to Deputy Minister Hiep, the Ban Mong reservoir project has been delayed and needs to be accelerated because it cannot be delayed any longer. Phase 1 is about the headworks, but the forest area is stuck. The province has submitted documents to the Government but needs to supplement them. If the province is not determined, it will be difficult to do.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, Phan Xuan Dung, said that Nghe An must be more determined to achieve the progress of phase 1 of the Ban Mong reservoir project. Photo: Pham Bang

Regarding the Ban Mong project, it is expected that by the end of 2020, the construction of the headquarter and 8 pumping stations will be completed with a budget of 4,370 billion VND. Nghe An province has proposed that the National Assembly allow the change of use purpose of 316.2 hectares of protective forest in the reservoir to implement the project. At the same time, more than 620 billion VND will be allocated for phase 1 and more than 3,214 billion VND to implement phase 2.

Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, Mr. Phan Xuan Dung, said that the Provincial People’s Committee must prepare a complete dossier on converting forest use purposes and submit it to the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment as soon as possible. The Committee will then review and submit it to the National Assembly Standing Committee according to its authority.

"Nghe An must be more determined to achieve the project's phase 1 progress in this term," comrade Phan Xuan Dung emphasized.

The Ban Mong reservoir project is expected to complete the construction of the headwaters and 8 pumping stations by the end of 2020. Photo: Pham Bang

Concluding the monitoring session, Comrade Phung Quoc Hien - Vice Chairman of the National Assembly said that Nghe An is an agricultural province, but has only met 55% of irrigation needs, which is low.

Due to natural disasters, steep slopes, and unusual storms and floods, the safety of dams in Nghe An is always at risk. Therefore, the province needs to decentralize more than 900 dams managed by communes to ensure they are able to handle incidents when they occur. In addition, Nghe An must have a master plan for the dam system, because Nghe An's advantage is still agriculture, to ensure irrigation and water security.

Comrade Phung Quoc Hien - Vice Chairman of the National Assembly proposed that the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee include water security in the Resolution of the 2021-2025 term congress. Photo: Pham Bang

Regarding the Ban Mong reservoir project, the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly said that for the area of ​​316.2 hectares of protective forest, Nghe An needs to calculate, review, and correctly assess the current situation. From there, prepare a specific dossier to submit to the Government, then continue to submit to the National Assembly for consideration of changing the purpose of use. By the end of August 2020, the province must complete the dossier to submit to the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment for review, from which it will have enough conditions to allocate capital for the 2021-2025 medium-term plan.

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly also proposed that the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee include the issue of water security in the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term, striving to achieve an irrigation rate of 75% by 2025.