Individuals can bid for management and exploitation of small irrigation works.

In the draft Circular detailing a number of articles of the Law on Irrigation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed regulations on individuals managing and exploiting small irrigation works. In which, individuals manage and exploit in the form of management assignment or bidding.

According to the draft, individuals are allowed to manage and exploit small irrigation works with the following scales: Mountainous areas: less than 10 hectares; Mekong Delta: less than 50 hectares; remaining areas: less than 20 hectares.

Individuals managing and exploiting small irrigation works must meet the following requirements: Have sufficient capacity according to regulations; organize management and exploitation in accordance with legal regulations on exploitation and protection of irrigation works; properly perform the tasks of the work, and meet the requirements of water users.

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Regarding finance, individuals managing and exploiting small irrigation works are entitled to receive State support funds through the People's Committee at the commune level, and contributions from users of irrigation products and services according to agreements to pay for management, operation, maintenance and repair of intra-field irrigation works.

TEstablish and strengthen grassroots irrigation organizations

Also according to the draft, within no more than 3 years from the date the Law on Irrigation takes effect, the Provincial People's Committee shall direct localities to develop plans and organize the establishment and consolidation of grassroots irrigation organizations.

Specifically, for localities that do not have an organization to manage and exploit small irrigation works or intra-field irrigation works, it is necessary to establish grassroots irrigation organizations; cooperatives that manage and exploit irrigation works in combination with other production and service organizations, have offices and are commune-sized, must be converted into agricultural service cooperatives with irrigation services.

Cooperatives for managing and exploiting irrigation works that do not have offices and are small in scale should consolidate inter-village and commune-level cooperatives. Particularly in the Mekong Delta, cooperatives at the village, inter-village or commune level can be consolidated. Irrigation Management Boards and Commune Irrigation Boards that are operating with part-time leadership and communal officials must be converted to cooperatives or cooperative groups.

The draft clearly states that grassroots irrigation organizations coordinate with commune-level authorities to propagate and disseminate information so that all users of irrigation products and services can participate in grassroots irrigation organizations.

According to Chinhphu.vn