Quynh Luu shrimp farmers wait wearily for seawater supply project

Completed project not put into use

Visiting the shrimp farming area in Dong Hung hamlet, Quynh Bang commune on January 7, it was found that most of the ponds and lagoons have been and are being treated and renovated by the people, preparing for the main shrimp farming season in 2025. When it comes to the water source for shrimp farming, people all complain. The Project to build a seawater supply system for industrial shrimp farming according to VietGAP standards in Quynh Bang commune (hereinafter referred to as the Project), although completed a long time ago, has not yet been put into operation. Even the water supply culvert of the centralized reservoir has been damaged for a long time and has not been repaired.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Tinh, owner of a shrimp pond in Dong Hung hamlet, said: His family has 4 ponds and lagoons, with a total area of ​​1 hectare. Now, preparations for the main shrimp farming season have been completed, waiting for the water to come in to release the fry. Not only his family but all shrimp farmers here hope that this shrimp crop will use the seawater provided by the Project for the shrimp farming area.

"I don't understand why the project was completed at the end of 2023 but has not yet been put into operation to benefit the people. The main shrimp farming season is approaching but the project is still "shelved", shrimp farmers have to take water from the Mai Giang River, which is very precarious. Hopefully, in the coming time, the authorities will soon put the project into operation so that shrimp farmers will have less worry about shrimp being infected with diseases," said Mr. Tinh.

Mr. Ho Dang Tam - Director of Quynh Bang General Agricultural Cooperative said: The cooperative is facing difficulties in water supply for shrimp farming areas. If the district has a specific plan to hand over the project to the cooperative for management and operation, the cooperative will wait to operate the seawater supply to the reservoir. If the district does not have a handover plan, let the cooperative know so that it can plan to take water from the Mai Giang River...

Mr. Tam said that the water intake system has 2 gates, designed to raise and lower the sluice gate, with the purpose of taking water from the Mai Giang River into the reservoir. Accordingly, when the tide rises, the sluice gate is raised to take water into the reservoir; when the tide falls, the sluice gate is lowered to keep water in the reservoir.

However, both sluice gates are currently damaged. Currently, one sluice gate was damaged immediately after handover, the construction unit dismantled it for repair many days ago, and has not been repaired yet. Another sluice gate is also damaged and cannot be raised anymore. The locality is asking the construction unit to repair it soon before the main shrimp season.

Important and practical project for shrimp farmers

The project to build a seawater supply system for industrial shrimp farming according to VietGAP standards in Quynh Bang commune was invested by the State since the beginning of 2021, with a total investment of 60 billion VND. By the end of 2023, the project was basically completed, with the main items: Site clearance; Pumping system (including suction and supply); power lines; operation house; channel and reservoir.

However, up to now, after more than 1 year of completion, the project has not yet been handed over to the locality for management and operation. Faced with this situation, on October 18, 2024, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district worked with the District Construction Investment Project Management Board and the People's Committee of Quynh Bang commune on the transfer of assets and management and operation of the VietGAP shrimp farming seawater supply system in Quynh Bang commune.

Accordingly, the District People's Committee requested the District Construction Investment Project Management Board to complete the project's final settlement in November 2024; Take the lead in coordinating with the Department of Finance - Planning to advise the District People's Committee on the project's asset handover plan according to regulations; Coordinate with the People's Committee of Quynh Bang commune and related units in providing project design documents to prepare a dossier to request the Provincial People's Committee to support funding for the use of public irrigation products and services in 2025 for the irrigation and drainage area serving aquaculture in Quynh Bang commune.

Quynh Luu District assigned the construction unit, Minh Quang Limited Liability Company, to overcome any shortcomings, if any, in accordance with the design documents approved by competent authorities; Coordinate with the District Construction Investment Project Management Board to test the seawater supply system; Coordinate with relevant units to promptly complete the project's final settlement and put it into use to promote investment efficiency.

Mr. Vu Van Duong - Chairman of Quynh Bang Commune People's Committee said: Although the District People's Committee had a specific meeting, assigning responsibilities to each department and office, thinking that the project would be handed over soon, but up to now, after more than 2 months, the District Construction Investment Project Management Board has not yet tested the project and the district has not had a solution to support the operation of the project, so the commune has not yet received the project. Even the issue of the water regulation sluice from Mai Giang River into the reservoir has not been resolved, so it is impossible to talk about handing over the project to the locality.

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The locality's wish is that the District Construction Investment Project Management Board coordinates with the commune to test the project's pumping station to know the level of electricity consumption, water consumption, machine capacity, from which there are specific cost calculations for long-term shrimp farming; Then, complete all project items to hand over to the locality for management. At the same time, the most important issue is that in addition to the support fund from the irrigation fee source for 35 hectares, the district needs to have other solutions to support additional funding for the operation of the pumping station, because the shrimp farming area of ​​Quynh Bang is nearly 100 hectares, if pumping seawater to supply the entire shrimp farming area each year, it will cost billions of dong, while shrimp farming has faced many risks due to diseases for many years, so the economic conditions of the people are difficult.

Mr. Vu Van Duong - Chairman of Quynh Bang Commune People's Committee

Mr. Hoang Van Cuong - Director of the Quynh Luu District Construction Investment Project Management Board said: Up to now, the board has not finalized the project because the documents have not been completed and the project has not been tested. Currently, the board is focusing on completing all documents and procedures to finalize the project in January 2025. At the same time, the district needs to provide operational support funds so that the board can hand over the project to the locality for management and operation. The project is under warranty and needs to be operated. If any problems arise, the construction unit is responsible for warranty and repair.

Mr. Hoang Van Cuong also said that the water supply sluice of the reservoir was repaired from the capital of the Project to build a seawater supply system for industrial shrimp farming according to VietGAP standards in Quynh Bang commune with a cost of more than 100 million VND, and is under warranty, so the committee is requesting the construction unit to be responsible for the repair.

For many years now, farmed shrimp in Nghe An in general and Quynh Bang commune in particular have frequently died due to disease, partly due to water pollution.

Therefore, Quynh Luu district needs to have drastic solutions so that the Project of Building a seawater supply system for industrial shrimp farming according to VietGAP standards in Quynh Bang commune can be put into operation soon, do not let the project "shelve" for a long time, causing waste of State investment capital.