Economy

Quynh Luu shrimp farmers wait wearily for seawater supply project

Society January 10, 2025 09:44

With an investment of 60 billion VND and to be completed by the end of 2023, but up to now, the Project of Building a seawater supply system for industrial shrimp farming according to VietGAP standards in Quynh Bang commune (Quynh Luu) has not been handed over and put into operation.

Completed project not yet 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 treated, renovated, and prepared for the main shrimp farming season in 2025. When it comes to the water source for shrimp farming, people all complained. 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.

bna_ql5.jpg
VietGAP shrimp farming area of ​​Quynh Bang commune (Quynh Luu). Photo: XH

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 can reduce their worries about shrimp being infected with diseases," said Mr. Tinh.

bna_tom.jpg
People in Quynh Bang commune renovate ponds to prepare for the main shrimp crop in 2025. Photo: XH

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...

bna_ql4.jpg
For a long time, the water source of Mai Giang River has been used by shrimp farmers to raise shrimp in their ponds. People say that because the water source of Mai Giang River is polluted, the farmed shrimp are often infected with diseases. Photo: XH

Mr. Tam said that the water intake system has 2 doors, designed to be raised and lowered, with the purpose of taking water from 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.

bna_ql1.jpg
The water supply culvert of the shrimp farming area of ​​Quynh Bang commune has just been repaired and both culverts are damaged. Photo: XH

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

bna_ql6.jpg
The water supply culvert has 2 sluices, of which 1 is damaged and is being dismantled for repair, the remaining 1 also has a cracked weld and cannot be pulled up. Photo: XH

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; operating house; canal and reservoir.

bna_toim-6.jpg
The pumping station of the Project to build a seawater supply system for industrial shrimp farming according to VietGAP standards in Quynh Bang commune has not been operated since its completion at the end of 2023. Photo: XH

However, up to now, after more than 1 year of completion, the project is still not yet handed over to the locality for management and operation. In 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 and 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.

bna_ql2.jpg
Concentrated reservoir of VietGAP shrimp farming area in Quynh Bang commune. When the project is in operation, seawater is pumped here, then water is regulated to ponds for farming households. Photo: XH

Quynh Luu District assigned the construction unit, Minh Quang Limited Liability Company, to overcome any existing problems, 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 until 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 problem 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.

bna_uploaded-xuanhoangbna-2024_04_21-_bna-tom-chet-1-3753.jpg
Shrimp farmers in Quynh Bang commune in particular and Quynh Luu district in general suffer annual losses due to shrimp dying from disease. Photo: QA

The locality's wish is that the District Construction Investment Project Management Board coordinates with the commune to test-operate 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 operating the pumping station project, because the shrimp farming area of ​​Quynh Bang is nearly 100 hectares, if pumping seawater to supply the entire shrimp farming area every year, it will cost billions, 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

bna_ql3.jpg
The water supply for the VietGAP shrimp farming area in Quynh Bang commune is regulated from the Mai Giang River. Shrimp farmers are worried that if the project is not put into operation, the next main shrimp crop will be at risk, because the water source taken from the Mai Giang River is not guaranteed. Photo: XH

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 for the board to 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 of Building 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.

bna_uploaded-xuanhoangbna-2024_04_21-_bna-tom-chet-1-3753.jpg

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.

In order to support the operating costs of the Project on Building a seawater supply system for industrial shrimp farming according to VietGAP standards in Quynh Bang commune, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district has submitted a document to the Department of Finance and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development requesting the allocation of irrigation fees for 35 hectares of shrimp ponds and lagoons belonging to the VietGAP seawater supply system for shrimp farming in Quynh Bang commune in 2025, which is 78.5 million VND (this land area is divided among the people according to Decree 64 of the Government).

Society