Nghe An: Many pumping stations are in serious disrepair.

The electric pumping station in Linh Son commune, Anh Son district, is in serious disrepair. Photo: Van Truong

Electric pumping station in Linh Son commune, districtMr. SonBuilt in 1982 and used to irrigate 40 hectares of rice fields, the system is now severely dilapidated. The machinery and equipment are outdated, the base and floor of the station are rusted, and the electrical cabinets are old and worn out; water leaks into the station building whenever it rains.

A worker operating this pumping station said: Before starting the pump, it has to be "dried" for 2-3 hours. Sometimes, the pump breaks down while in operation and has to be stopped for repairs, failing to meet the timely needs of rice seedling cultivation and planting for the people. Anh Son district has 8 electric pumping stations, and currently 4 of them are dilapidated and urgently need upgrading and repair to ensure rice irrigation.

In Nam Dan district, many pumping stations are also damaged. Mr. Nguyen Son Tra, Director of the Nam Dan Irrigation Enterprise, said: The enterprise has 17 electric pumping stations along the Lam River, of which 4 are dilapidated, most of which have been in use for over 30 years. Among them, pumping stations No. 2-3, which irrigate 250 hectares in Nam Linh and Nam Xuan communes, are severely degraded. The station buildings are damaged, and the motors are weak, leading to frequent breakdowns and lengthy repairs. During the rainy season, the pumping stations have to monitor water levels to raise the pump motors higher to prevent damage. Each year, before rice planting, maintenance costs of 30-50 million VND per pumping station are required.

Pumping station No. 2 in Nam Linh commune (Nam Dan district) has been dilapidated for many years. Photo: Van Truong

Mr. Thai Van Hung, Director of Nam Irrigation Company Limited, added: The unit manages 36pumping station,Serving to irrigate 30,000 hectares of rice fields, there are currently 29 dilapidated pumping stations. Every year, the company maintains and repairs them, replacing and fixing any damaged parts.

Due to the outdated and obsolete pumping station system, the pumping process requires "forced" water, consuming a lot of electricity and increasing the number of workers needed to operate the pumps. The company invests 8-9 billion VND annually in electricity, accounting for one-quarter of its total operating costs. Because the electric pumping station is dilapidated and unable to meet irrigation needs, the company has had to purchase dozens of additional mobile diesel pumps to "rescue" the rice crop when necessary.

The makeshift suction pipe system is not functioning properly. Photo: Van Truong

Similarly, the districts of Tan Ky and Thanh Chuong have many pumping stations located along the Con and Lam rivers, built before and after the 1980s, which are now severely dilapidated. Especially during hot weather and low water levels, these pumping stations require additional water intake pipes, dredging of silted canals, and increased pumping time, resulting in significant electricity consumption and other associated costs.

Mr. Nguyen Truong Thanh, Head of the Irrigation Sub-Department, said: Nghe An currently has over 500 pumping stations, managed by agricultural cooperatives and irrigation units. The pumping station system was built in the 1970s-1990s, so it is damaged and degraded.

Pumping station No. 2 in Nam Linh (Nam Dan) is outdated and operates inefficiently. Photo: Van Truong

Every year, the cost of repairing pumping stations in the province and the amount of electricity consumed due to deteriorating machinery amounts to tens of billions of VND. Therefore, in the long term, the province should re-plan the pumping station system; have a comprehensive and long-term investment plan, avoiding scattered investments, which will both save costs and bring efficiency in serving agricultural production.

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