Nghe An: Hundreds of hectares of rice fields submerged in water, roads damaged by landslides.
(Baonghean.vn) - Following heavy rain on the night of May 21st, many localities in the province are currently severely affected. The biggest losses are in agricultural production, with rice fields submerged in water; crops are damaged and rotting.
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| Large rice paddies in Cao Son commune (Anh Son district) are submerged in water. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Heavy rains on May 20th and 21st caused damage in many areas of Anh Son district.Particularly in the communes along the Lam River, severe flooding occurred, with large areas of rice fields submerged in water, and significant losses to ponds, lakes, dams, and fish cages. Cao Son commune was the most severely affected. According to statistics, 190 hectares of rice fields ready for harvest were completely submerged and covered in mud; 30 hectares of ponds overflowed, and fish escaped.
“Currently, people have only harvested 50 out of 240 hectares of rice; the unharvested area is submerged in water. Saving the rice is ‘unavoidable’ due to the difficulty in draining the water, as the water level in the Lam River is currently high. The authorities are coordinating with the people to closely monitor the weather developments, and as the water recedes, they are mobilizing people to use boats to help each other harvest the rice.”
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| Once the floodwaters recede, the commune will mobilize all resources to help people harvest the rice. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
The characteristics ofCao Son commune"They can only produce rice in the spring, and the people's entire year's food supply depends on it. If it continues to rain and the rice crop is lost, the people's lives will be very difficult," said Mr. Hoang Ngoc Dung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cao Son commune.
Thanh My (Thanh Chuong)localized flooding occurred due to heavy rain, and accordingly,245 hectares of rice fields were flooded, with water reaching the base of the rice panicles.The corn crop was broken and flattened quite a lot. In particular, many concrete roads were eroded, silted up, and severely damaged.
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| The steep terrain, numerous streams, and heavy rains have caused serious landslides on many concrete roads in Thanh My (Thanh Chuong district). Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Local authorities are currently organizing inspection teams to assess and compile statistics on the damage; mobilizing forces to repair landslide-affected roads to facilitate people's travel. At the same time, they are encouraging people to quickly harvest rice as soon as the water recedes; for corn that has been damaged, if it can be salvaged, they should straighten the plants and mound the soil around the base; if not, they should harvest the plants for animal feed.
20/30 hectares of cantaloupe and watermelon belonging to people in Nghi Long commune (Nghi Loc district).The area has been repeatedly damaged by unseasonal rains. Ms. Vo Thi Van, an agricultural officer in Nghi Long commune, said:Spring cropThis year, people planted cantaloupe and watermelon later than in previous years.
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| 20 out of 30 hectares of watermelon and cantaloupe crops in Nghi Long commune (Nghi Loc district) are severely flooded. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Currently, the entire melon crop is bearing young fruit, with some areas ready for harvest in about 10-15 days. However, after the two recent rainstorms, 20 hectares of melons were flooded with mud, causing root rot and wilting; many areas with green and young melons were damaged and rotted. In the coming days, if there is strong sunshine and high temperatures, the risk of the melon plants dying is very high; farmers could lose everything, with estimated losses of 6 billion VND.”
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| Locals used water pumps to drain the water and save the melon plants. Photo: Thanh Phuc |
Currently, in the melon fields, people are making efforts to use pumps to drain water; dredging ditches and clearing embankments to save the melon plants.
