Expedite the progress of the project to upgrade the Northern irrigation system.
(Baonghean) - The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed units and contractors to accelerate the progress of the North Nghe An Irrigation System Restoration and Upgrade Project (JICA2) to serve irrigation water for the 2017 summer-autumn crop.
Mr. Hoang Nghia Hieu, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated: The project to restore and upgrade the irrigation system in North Nghe An was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Decision No. 1929/QD.BNN-TCTL dated August 14, 2012, with a total investment of over 5,705 billion VND, financed by Japanese ODA loans (JICA). The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghe An is the investor for component 1: Restoration and upgrading of the irrigation system in North Nghe An; the total investment for component 1 is 5,205 billion VND. The project aims to ensure stable irrigation for 27,656 hectares of agricultural land; create a water supply for industry (1.89 m3/s) and domestic use (1.59 m3/s for 900,000 people) in 5 districts: Do Luong, Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, and Hoang Mai town. Upgrading and expanding the Dien Thanh sluice gate will help drain water and reduce flooding in 1,920 hectares of low-lying areas in Yen Thanh and Dien Chau districts.
Component 1 is divided into 26 bidding packages. Construction contracts for 8 packages in phase 1 were signed on December 25, 2015, with a total value of VND 440.6 billion, achieving over 85% progress. According to the contract, these 8 packages in phase 1 will be completed between January and June 2018. Since the beginning of 2017, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Project Management Board for Agriculture and Rural Development have coordinated with relevant agencies to tender for the second phase of the project.
 |
| Construction work is underway to upgrade the KN 18 canal in Quynh Thanh commune (Quynh Luu district). Photo: Van Truong |
Currently, the second phase of the project is being actively implemented. Along the KN 18 canal in Quynh Thanh commune (Quynh Luu district), manpower and machinery have been increased, and construction is progressing rapidly. Mr. Nguyen Duc Cuong, a technical officer of Quynh Anh Co., Ltd., stated: “Our company’s contract is worth 30 billion VND, mainly focusing on in-situ concrete pouring and canal bank upgrading… with a total length of 7.4 km. Immediately after receiving the contract in May 2017, we mobilized over 50 workers, along with excavators and rollers, divided into three teams, each with 12-15 workers concentrating on steel reinforcement and concrete pouring… To date, we have completed over 30% of the work. According to the 2-year contract, the canal will be put into operation, and we are striving to exceed the schedule by 2-3 months.”
Despite the hot weather, workers and machinery are working diligently on the construction packages for the Khe Khuon canal system, which runs through Thai Son and Quang Son communes (Do Luong district). A representative from Trung Anh Construction Joint Stock Company shared: “We are focusing on constructing the bridge across Thai Son commune to facilitate travel for the people. Specifically, we have completed two bridge abutments and are currently casting the girders. We expect to put three out of five bridges into use in 2017. The Khe Khuon canal project is a joint venture with three construction units, with a total investment of 98 billion VND. According to the plan, after completing the bridge system, the units will focus on constructing the canals and pumping stations, finishing each section as it progresses to ensure irrigation water for the people.”
 |
| The irrigation canal system in Quang Son commune (Do Luong district), constructed by Hung Dai Thanh company, has been put into use for this year's summer-autumn crop season. Photo: Van Truong |
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thao, Director of the Project Management Board for the Restoration and Upgrading of the Northern Nghe An Irrigation System, stated: The second phase of the construction contract, comprising 9 packages worth 834 billion VND, was launched at the beginning of 2017. According to the contract, these 9 packages were to be completed within two years, and the work volume achieved so far meets the project's requirements. The current difficulty lies in the need to simultaneously carry out construction and maintain irrigation water supply, significantly impacting the progress. The Project Management Board has instructed construction units to prioritize the construction of diversion channels in certain locations, or to focus on sections of canals near pumping stations, as these stations typically supply water in batches, allowing for construction when pumping stops. The construction units are instructed to prepare materials such as formwork, steel, cement, and stone to be ready for intensive construction after the scheduled water cut-off and after the summer-autumn rice harvest from September to December. In addition, for the projects in phase 1, such as the K12 +985 section in Vinh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, due to the geological conditions near the hills and mountains, water flow is causing erosion of 3-4 meters of the canal bank's paving. The investor has a plan to construct a retaining wall using geotextile fabric wrapped in crushed stone for sustainable remediation.
To ensure the progress and quality of the project, in addition to international supervision from Japan, the Project Management Board also has its own supervisory team to urge contractors to expedite construction, check the quality of the work, and ensure both quality and aesthetics in the construction phase. Taking advantage of favorable weather conditions, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development directed the Project Management Board to actively urge contractors to accelerate progress, constructing in a phased manner, completing each section as it is finished, so that the canals can immediately be effective in irrigating the summer-autumn crop.
 |
| The Dien Thanh sluice gate in Dien Chau has completed the concrete base slab construction. Photo: Van Truong. |
According to the report from the Project Management Board of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the construction of the Dien Thanh - Dien Chau sluice gate has completed several items: building two green embankments downstream and pouring 21,000m² of concrete for the bottom slab.3Concrete, poured over 100m3Concrete turbines, test piling of bridge abutments, and progress on several items are being accelerated before the rainy season.
Recently, Mr. Dinh Viet Hong, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with a delegation, inspected the project site, acknowledging and highly appreciating the efforts of the project management board, local authorities, and construction units in the project's implementation. He also requested the project management board to mobilize maximum resources to supervise the construction and urge contractors to accelerate work during favorable periods. The project management board, construction units, and the Northern Irrigation Company Limited discussed specific details to ensure a suitable water cut-off schedule for construction. The project owner and supervisory units need to actively inspect quality and ensure the sustainability of the project.
Van Truong