Promote the national movement to do irrigation

Nghe An has two large irrigation systems, the Northern irrigation system and the Southern irrigation system, 1,061 reservoirs, 423 dams, and 701 electric pumping stations. Every year, it ensures irrigation for more than 250,000 hectares of crop areas, providing water for industry, socio-economic development, and serving people's daily life in the province. However, every year, due to floods and droughts, the irrigation system is degraded and damaged, so the movementirrigation workhas a very important role.

Irrigation culvert of Dien Thanh commune (Dien Chau). Photo: Tran Chau

In order to effectively implement Resolution 02-NQ/TU of the Provincial Party Committee, and at the same time promptly overcome the consequences caused by drought and floods, proactively prevent floods, droughts, and saltwater intrusion to ensure irrigation and drainage for production in 2022, the People's Committee of Nghe An province launched a movement for the whole people to join forces to build irrigation, transport, and new rural areas, strengthen the work of preventing drought, saltwater intrusion, floods, and urban flooding from October 16 to December 31, 2021 in the whole province.

Irrigation work in Yen Thanh district. Photo: Van Truong

Mr. Nguyen Truong Thanh - Head of the Irrigation Sub-Department said: This year's irrigation campaign must meet the following basic requirements: Overcoming the consequences of drought, floods and storms to ensure irrigation and drainage for the 2021 winter crop and 2022 production. Ensuring the maximum water supply capacity of irrigation works including reservoirs, pumping stations, and water intake culverts for the production of food crops, industrial crops, fruit trees, color crops and aquaculture. Ensuring timely and quick irrigation and drainage, saving water and production costs. Improving the ability of works to prevent natural disasters, droughts and floods, ensuring the safety of works and minimizing damage caused by natural disasters and climate change. Continuing to solidify and modernize the intra-field canal system. In addition, units and localities need to monitor the development of the Covid-19 epidemic to have measures to both ensure epidemic prevention and implement effective and practical campaigns.

Ensure the drainage channels for colored areas, supply and drainage channels for aquaculture are clear. Repair key works, irrigation works and systems, clean water works, river dyke systems, sea dykes, and embankments after the flood season.

Repair and arrange traffic in fields and villages according to the planning. Clear the land and clear the roads to ensure ventilation, in line with the new rural traffic criteria. For urban areas, repair and dredge to ensure ventilation of canals and drainage channels to drain water to minimize flooding during heavy rains.

Overcoming the overflow of a damaged reservoir in Phuc Thanh commune (Yen Thanh). Photo: Van Truong

In addition, the campaign also develops small irrigation systems for upland crops such as: Digging and building reservoirs, small tanks, wells, developing small pump networks, using advanced irrigation methods, saving water. Maximizing the advantages of the system of dams in the province to replicate irrigation models for new varieties of oranges, tangerines, passion fruit, grapefruit, sugarcane, tea, grass for livestock... Depending on the level of damage, current status of the works and actual needs for irrigation, drainage, water supply, environmental sanitation, localities and units select works, items and determine the contents, scale, and volume to be implemented in this campaign.

Yen Thanh district, taking advantage of favorable weather, 3 communes Tang Thanh, Tan Thanh, Lang Thanh deployed dredging of the canal system in the fields, repairing the banks of the fields. Mr. Le Van Hong - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Yen Thanh district said: After the storm, many irrigation systems were damaged, the canals were silted. The campaign to build irrigation works in Yen Thanh district is determined to complete as soon as possible and is divided into 3 phases. Phase I: Dredging of canals, bridges and culverts in the fields, phase II: Building banks of the fields, banks of the fields, dykes and leveling the fields, phase 3: Cleaning the fields, dredging canals, clearing.

People in Tang Thanh, Tan Thanh and Lang Thanh communes are dredging the canal system and repairing the banks of the fields. Photo: Ho Cac

To make October 16 truly a festival for the people in the province, Nghe An has focused on propaganda and mobilization work along with support policies for rewarding leading units; has a capital mobilization policy suitable to the people's strength, and implements democracy. In addition to the large forces of all classes of people, many localities have mobilized organizations such as farmers' associations, youth union members, armed forces, etc.