The Lam River is drying up, leaving many localities short of water for spring crop production.

* InDo Luong districtAlthough other communes in the area have completed planting the spring rice crop, Trung Son commune has only managed to plant 70 hectares, with the remaining 150 hectares unable to be planted due to water shortage.

Many rice fields in Trung Son commune (Do Luong district) are waiting for water to be available for planting. Photo: Ngoc Phuong

In the fields of Hamlet 1, Trung Son Commune, Do Luong District, many rice paddies remain unplanted due to a lack of water. Ms. Le Thi Nhat, like many other households, went to the fields early in the morning to wait for water, but to no avail. She was very anxious because the seeds had already been soaked and prepared, and it was time to sow them.

“I and many other households have been here since 4 a.m. waiting for water to come into the fields. The rice seedlings have been soaked and are sprouting well, but there is no water to sow them…” – Mrs. Nhat said.

The pumping station faces significant difficulties due to the water source being far from the station. Photo: Ngoc Phuong

Not only the rice fields of Ms. Le Thi Nhat's household, but many other households in Trung Son commune have not yet had water reach their fields. According to data from the commune's People's Committee, as of the morning of January 30th, the entire commune has 150 hectares lacking water for spring crop production.

The reason for the water shortage for production is that the commune's main pumping station No. 1 is operating at only 1/4 of its capacity. This 1/4 operation is due to a lack of water flowing from the Lam River to the pumping station.

Hundreds of local residents were mobilized to dredge mud and create a water flow to the pumping station. Photo: Ngoc Phuong

Ten years ago, the pumping station near the Lam River was still operating well with a capacity of 480m³.³/hour. However, due to changes in the Lam River's course, the four water intake pipes of the pumping station are now 150m from the bank. Every time the production season arrives, the commune has to mobilize hundreds of people along with dredging equipment to create a channel to bring water to the pumping station.

This spring of 2023, in order to have water for production, the commune mobilized over 200 laborers for two consecutive days to clear irrigation ditches, but it was still very difficult to get enough water to operate one pump; the other three pumps were not working.

Dredging and pumping are necessary to bring water to the pumping station. Photo: Do ​​Luong

Mr. Doan Van Kien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Trung Son commune (Do Luong district), said: "Given this situation, we earnestly hope that the higher authorities will allow the implementation of a renovation project so that the pumping station can operate properly. Otherwise, every planting season we have to mobilize the people to dredge and create a water flow, which is very arduous."

Water is the most pressing issue for farmers in Trung Son commune today, followed by land allocation, labor, and seeds. Therefore, the renovation and upgrading of the water pumping system for rice cultivation in the commune is something that local leaders and residents are eager to see implemented soon.

Similarly, atThanh Chuong districtDue to unpredictable weather conditions and low rainfall, the water level in the Lam River has dropped, rendering many pumps inoperable. Thanh Chuong Irrigation Company Limited has instructed its pumping stations to operate 24/7 and implemented practical measures such as dredging the intake basins to ensure sufficient water supply for agricultural production.

The pumping station in Dong Van commune does not have enough water to pump. Photo: Huu Thinh

Mr. Nguyen Phuong Loi, head of the pumping station in Thanh Hung commune, Thanh Chuong district, said: "Currently, the water level in the Lam River is low, and only 1 out of 5 pumps is working, so we have to be on duty 24/7 to pump water immediately for the people's production when it becomes available."

In reality, almost all pumping stations on the Lam River currently lack water for spring crop production, such as the Rang pumping station, Dong Van pumping station, and Ru Nguoc pumping station. The communes with the largest areas awaiting water are Cat Van, Phong Thinh, Dai Dong, Thanh Dong, Dong Van, and Thanh Ngoc. These localities are currently waiting for rain or for hydroelectric power plants to release water for spring crop production.

Thanh Ha commune mobilizes residents to dig and clear waterways to obtain water for agricultural production. Photo: Contributor.

Mr. Dang Huu Bien, Chairman of the Thanh Ha Commune People's Committee, said: "The Lam River is too dry to provide enough water for irrigating 45 hectares of rice fields. The pumps can't get down there, so the villagers have to dig and remove individual stones to create enough depth and a flow into the suction pipes. But even that is proving difficult..."

According to the plan, for the 2023 spring crop, Thanh Chuong district aims to plant 14,800 hectares of short-term crops, with a food production of 73,200 tons, including 8,600 hectares of rice. Mr. Le Dinh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Chuong District People's Committee, stated: The biggest difficulty in spring crop production currently is the low water level of the Lam River, preventing pumping stations on the river from supplying water for agricultural production. To help people accelerate production and ensure the planted area and yield, the Thanh Chuong District People's Committee requests the Provincial People's Committee to direct hydropower companies in the province to release water so that people have water for production.