350 hectares of rice fields in Nghi Loc are severely affected by drought due to prolonged heatwave.

These days, visiting the fields of Nghi Dong commune, Nghi Loc district, reporters observed vast stretches of land parched and cracked. Ms. Tran Thi Thu, from Hamlet 3, Nghi Dong commune, Nghi Loc district, shared: "The prolonged heatwave and dried-up reservoirs have caused all four acres of rice to suffer from water shortage and drought. In just a few more days, the rice will wither and die, and this harvest is at risk of being lost."

At midday, the hot wind was blowing fiercely, but in the fields of Cua Khe, Nghi Dong commune, some households had set up mini diesel pumps in the remaining canals to try and save their rice crops. Vu Dinh Hoa, who was pumping water, said: "We've been using mini diesel pumps for over a day now, but they're not working. After stopping the pumps for about 2-3 hours, the fields dry up completely again."

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tam, Chairman of the Nghi Dong Commune People's Committee, said: "This is the longest and most severe drought in the commune. Out of over 100 hectares of summer-autumn rice planted, all of it has dried up and cracked. If the hot weather continues in the coming days, the risk of crop failure is imminent."

Currently, the commune is directing villagers in all hamlets to utilize water sources such as ponds and canals to install mini diesel pumps to save the rice crops. However, this solution is not promising, as the Khe Xiêm reservoir, which irrigates over 80 hectares of rice, has run dry, and all surrounding streams have dried up.

Similarly, in Nghi Yen commune, Nghi Loc district, due to water scarcity, over 30 hectares of land remain unsuitable for production.

Mr. Vo Manh Son, a specialist from the Agriculture Department of Nghi Loc district, said: This year's summer-autumn rice crop in Nghi Loc district covers 4,900 hectares. Due to the prolonged heatwave, over 350 hectares of rice in the district are currently experiencing drought and cannot be irrigated. If the hot weather continues in the coming days, there is a risk that the rice will die from drought.

The current challenge is that out of over 40 reservoirs in Nghi Loc district, most have low water levels, with many completely dry. Currently, the district is directing communes to utilize surface water sources such as ponds, lakes, and abandoned rivers, as well as return water sources, using mobile diesel pumps to save rice crops. They are also using transfer pumps to pump water from some reservoirs to irrigate the rice fields.

The electric pumping station system in Nghi Loc district, operated by the Nghi Loc Irrigation Enterprise, is currently operating at full capacity 24/7. For the downstream pumping stations along the Cam River in Nghi Loc district, the irrigation unit regularly checks the salinity of the water to prevent saltwater intrusion during pumping.

Van Truong