Nghe An: Scorching heat causes reservoirs and dams to dry up, and fields to crack.

The Nha Huu reservoir in Lam Son commune has reached its dead water level. Photo: Van Truong

In the fields of Hamlet 14, Lam Son Commune (Do Luong District), all the rice paddies are cracked and dry. Farmer Tran Van Quy said: His family owns 8 sao (approximately 0.8 hectares) of land, but they can only cultivate 2 sao, leaving the remaining 6 sao fallow due to lack of water. The 2 sao of rice that were just planted are suffering from drought because the water in the dam has dried up; if the hot weather continues, the rice will wither and die.

Mr. Le Van Bieu, Chairman of the Lam Son Commune People's Committee, shared: According to the plan, Lam Son commune was supposed to plant over 380 hectares of rice this summer-autumn season, but so far only 300 hectares have been planted, with 80 hectares remaining unplanted due to water shortage. Currently, over 70 hectares of rice in the entire commune, particularly in areas dependent on reservoir water, have been affected by drought.

According to Mr. Biểu, Lam Sơn commune has nine reservoirs of varying sizes, most of which are running dry, especially the Bàu Khe, Đồng Hồ, and Nhà Hữu reservoirs, which have completely dried up. Many residents living around this area are also facing a shortage of water for daily use.

Farmers in Giai Xuan commune, Tan Ky district, are using mini pumps to "save" their rice crops. Photo: Van Truong.

This summer-autumn crop season, Do Luong district planted over 7,000 hectares, and currently nearly 1,000 hectares are experiencing water shortages.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Thuan, Head of the Agriculture Department of Do Luong District, said: Do Luong has over 90 reservoirs of various sizes, and 70% of those managed by the locality have run out of water, concentrated in the communes of Giang Son Dong, Hong Son, My Son, Lam Son, Bai Son, etc. If the hot weather continues for an extended period, Do Luong will have over 2000 rice fields affected by drought, mainly concentrated in the reservoir areas.

The Ba Trau reservoir in Ky Tan commune, Tan Ky district, only has about 20% of its water capacity left, making it insufficient for rice irrigation. Photo: Van Truong

In Tan Ky district, there are 115 reservoirs and dams of varying sizes, of which over 70 currently have water levels below 30%, making it impossible to provide sufficient irrigation water for large rice-growing areas.

In Tan Ky district, over 4,700 hectares of rice have been planted, and as of now, over 600 hectares of rice fields in the communes of Nghia Phuc, Nghia Hanh, Giai Xuan, Dong Van, etc., are experiencing water shortages.

Many rice fields in Nam Giang commune, Nam Dan district, are cracked due to lack of water. Photo: Van Truong

According to a report from the Department of Irrigation, all 96 reservoirs managed by enterprises in the province have low water levels. Only 4 reservoirs are still full, while the remaining 92 have water levels just above 50%. Reservoirs managed by local authorities only have 30-40% of their water capacity, with some having completely run out of water.

The Ve Nong reservoir in Van Dien commune, Nam Dan district, is experiencing a severe water shortage. Photo: Van Truong

In 2019, the entire province planted over 85,000 hectares of rice in the summer-autumn crop season, of which over 15,000 hectares were in reservoir areas. Currently, about 3,000 hectares in reservoir areas are experiencing drought, concentrated in the districts of Tan Ky, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong, Do Luong, Con Cuong, Que Phong, Quy Chau, Quy Hop, Nghia Dan, Yen Thanh, and Quynh Luu…