Nghe An: Reservoirs and dams run dry, nearly 23,000 hectares of rice fields crack and dry up.
(Baonghean.vn) - According to a report from the Irrigation Sub-Department, the prolonged heatwave has caused numerous reservoirs in Nghe An province to dry up, and thousands of hectares of rice fields to crack.
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| The Cua Truong dam in My Son commune, Do Luong district, has run out of water. Photo: Le Hoan |
According to data from the Irrigation Department, due to the lack of early summer rains in Nghe An province this year, the water levels in reservoirs have not been replenished, and the water level on the Ca River at the headworks has not reached the design level; the water levels in reservoirs, dams, and irrigation canals in the fields have decreased very rapidly, especially in small reservoirs.
The total rainfall in Nghe An province from the beginning of 2018 to June 30th was 397.3 mm, which is 112.8 mm lower than the same period in 2017.
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| With reservoirs running low on water, the pumping station in Hung Yen Nam commune has to pump mud to irrigate the rice fields. Photo: Hoang Hao |
As of July 2nd, out of 533 reservoirs managed by communes and cooperatives, 25 reservoirs had reached their dead water level, with Tan Ky district having the highest number at 15. 305 reservoirs still had water levels at around 30-50%.
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| Rice fields in Hung Nguyen district are cracked due to the lack of irrigation water for many days. Photo: Hoang Hao |
Of the 95 reservoirs managed by enterprises, 40 have water levels below 50%; 28 have water levels between 50% and 70%. Water levels at key dams such as Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir and Khe Bo are all lower than the design water levels.
Due to a lack of irrigation water, many localities have not yet been able to plant the summer rice crop. Therefore, as of July 2nd, the entire province has only planted over 70,000 hectares out of a planned nearly 85,000 hectares, reaching 83%.
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| To date, 1,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice in Hung Nguyen district have withered. Photo: Hoang Hao |
If there is no additional rainfall in the near future, and the hot weather continues, the irrigation water shortage will worsen for nearly 23,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice crops that are already suffering from water scarcity.
Currently, local authorities are proactively allocating funds and mobilizing manpower to dredge canals and ditches, and using pumps to remove water from reservoirs, rivers, and streams to save the rice crops.
