Lam River water level drops, risk of water shortage for spring crop production

Pumping stations along Lam River, below Do Luong bara, have recently been facing a shortage of water and unable to pump for irrigation. Previously, although the units and localities managing the pumping stations had dredged the channels and ditches to take water after each rainy and flood season, this situation has not improved much.

Dai Dong Commune (Thanh Chuong) was originally merged from 3 communes Thanh Van, Thanh Hung, Thanh Tuong, this season the plan is to plant 600ha but many fields of the commune still do not have water to flood. To serve the local planting area, 5 pumping stations have been built to serve irrigation pumping.

Thanh Van pumping station (Thanh Chuong) is dry and must be dredged to bring water into the pump. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Nguyen Nhu Thien - Chairman of Thanh Van Agricultural Cooperative said: In recent days, the water level of Lam River has fluctuated erratically, so pumping water to serve spring crop production has encountered many difficulties. In addition to low-lying fields, there are currently higher fields that still do not have water for plowing. Currently, Thanh Van Agricultural Cooperative has 200 hectares of fields, and Van Long pumping station alone, managed by the Commune People's Committee, serves irrigation for 56.4 hectares.

Van Long pumping station of Dai Dong Commune People's Committee (Thanh Chuong) has been silted up many times. Photo: Tien Dong

Not only Dai Dong commune but also some communes such as Dong Van and Thanh Phong are facing the risk of water shortage for spring crop production if the Lam River water level drops as low as in recent days. According to data compiled by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thanh Chuong district, this year's spring crop, the locality planted 8,600 hectares. Of which, Thanh Chuong Irrigation Company Limited is responsible for irrigating 1,500 hectares, with 7 pumping stations along the Lam River. However, due to the erratic water level of the Lam River, many times the pumping stations managed by this unit were unable to perform their tasks.

Mr. Le Dinh Thanh - Vice Chairman of Thanh Chuong District People's Committee said: To ensure enough irrigation water for the Spring crop, the district has also directed all communes to have plans to regulate and save water from dams. Request Thanh Chuong Irrigation Company Limited to urgently dredge and connect more pumps to draw water, and at the same time request the province to direct Ban Ve Hydropower Plant to regulate and release water to serve the Spring crop production.

In many fields in Thanh Chuong, people have added fertilizer but there is no water to plow. Photo: Tien Dong

In Nam Dan, this year's Spring crop produced 6,811 hectares of rice, currently 910 hectares have been directly sown and 45 hectares of seedlings are in the process of sowing. Of which, most of the water for production in this locality is taken through the Nam Dan bara. However, it is recorded that at the Nam Dan bara, the water intake point for production and daily life in the localities of Nam Dan, Hung Nguyen, Nghi Loc, Cua Lo Town and Vinh City, the water level of the Lam River has recently dropped significantly. The highest water level was only 1.7m and the lowest water level measured at 7:00 p.m. on December 31, 2021 was -0.3m.

Currently, many pumping stations along the Lam River have been built for a long time, so when the Lam River water level drops, the pipes have to be connected many times, affecting the pumping capacity. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Nguyen Duy Thong - Deputy Station Manager of Nam Dan Bara Station said: In recent years, the water level of Lam River has been very low, especially from November this year to July and August next year, which has greatly affected the water supply process for agricultural production. To have water for production, pumping stations almost have to rely on the water discharge of hydroelectric plants on Lam River, Do Luong Bara and wait for high tide to open the gates to take water.

According to some localities and units, if the Lam River water level continues to drop, it will directly affect the production of spring rice, because in addition to needing water during the flooding period, the spring crop also needs water for sowing and nurturing the rice plants in the following stages. With the pressure of having irrigation water for the spring crop, for a long time, localities and units have had to dredge the suction tank and add more pipes, causing costs to increase. Not to mention, adding more suction pipes has caused the machine capacity to be overloaded, because most of the pumping stations have been built for 20 years or more, so it is difficult to meet the water suction demand.

The graph of flood peaks and lowest water levels over the years at Nam Dan sluice shows that in the past 4 years, the water level of Lam River has dropped to alarming levels many times. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Nguyen Truong Thanh - Head of Nghe An Irrigation Sub-Department said: To ensure irrigation water for the Spring crop, the unit has coordinated and worked with Ban Ve, Khe Bo, and Chi Khe Hydropower Plants to ensure water discharge to meet the needs of production and daily life in downstream areas. In addition, the sub-department also requires management and operation units to strictly manage water sources, prevent leakage and loss, and use water resources economically and effectively.

“In addition, localities also need to increase the use of advanced, water-saving irrigation methods to prioritize spring crop production. Coordinate with local authorities to organize dredging of canal systems, water intake gates, and irrigation pumping stations to ensure water flow and ventilation from the source to the field, taking advantage of all water sources for production,” Mr. Thanh emphasized.