Nghi Loc District People's Committee responded to the issue raised by the Newspaper

(Baonghean) -Nghe An Newspaper published on February 18, 2013 an article entitled "Overcoming the deterioration of dams, canals and ditches", reflecting: "Recently, in the communes of Nghi Trung, Nghi Truong, Nghi Thinh..., some canals and ditches have subsided, reducing irrigation capacity, affecting people's production. In addition, encroachment on the corridors and flow of the reservoirs of the works has occurred in many communes of Nghi Quang, Nghi Xa, Nghi Hop, and the area along the Cam River...". After studying the content of the Newspaper and directing inspection and handling, Nghi Loc District People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 179/UBND-VHTT in response as follows:

Regarding the content reported by Nghe An Newspaper:

- The situation of canals, dams, subsidence and degradation reducing irrigation capacity and affecting people's production is true.

Nghi Loc District People's Committee would like to clarify as follows:

The irrigation system in Nghi Loc district includes: The system of works managed and exploited by the locality (commune, cooperative) and the system of works managed and exploited by Nam Nghe An Irrigation One Member Co., Ltd.

+ For projects managed by local authorities (communes, cooperatives): In recent years, from the program of consolidating canals, mobilizing investment resources, together with local budgets and mobilizing people's contributions, up to now, basically irrigation projects such as: canals (including irrigation and drainage), pumping stations, dams, river dyke systems, sea dykes, saltwater prevention and freshwater retention sluices and projects on canals... have been upgraded, invested in, and repaired quite solidly. Therefore, irrigation projects managed by local authorities meet agricultural production requirements better and better.

+ For the project managed by Nam Nghe An Irrigation One Member Co., Ltd. (including 8 reservoirs, 5 pumping stations, over 34 km of level I canals), currently only 1 reservoir has been upgraded, 19 km of level I canals have been reinforced, the rest are mainly earthen canals, so it is difficult to irrigate for production.

Regarding the cause: Because the dam system has been invested for a long time, besides the main canal is mostly an earthen canal, along with the impact of natural disasters and floods every year, the project has been degraded, damaged and silted. Besides, the annual maintenance and repair budget is not enough (mainly depends on the annual irrigation fee compensation for Nam Irrigation One Member Co., Ltd.), while the budget for investing in upgrading the above-mentioned system is very large, it is necessary to have investment support from the State budget to have projects to upgrade dams, solidify the main canal, dredge the canal system, and the lake bed on a very large scale (this issue has been proposed by the District People's Committee for many years to Nam Irrigation Company, departments, branches and the Provincial People's Committee).

- The encroachment on corridors and water flows of irrigation works occurring in some localities as reported by the newspaper is correct, such as: aquaculture households taking advantage of the water surface of canals and rivers to dig aquaculture ponds, using corridors as material gathering areas, building architectural works...

Results of handling the issues raised in the report:

- Regarding the handling of the degradation and subsidence of irrigation works: While there is no investment fund to upgrade irrigation works, the District People's Committee has coordinated with Nam Irrigation One Member Co., Ltd. to organize dredging, repairing, and preventing water leakage of the main canal of Tho Son Pumping Station to expand the irrigation area for Nghi Truong and Nghi Thinh communes. Dredging the first-class canal of Lach Buoi Lake (Nghi Van commune) to ensure production services.

- Regarding the handling of encroachment on river flows and irrigation works:

Immediately after the meeting on August 17, 2012, the District People's Committee directed the clearance of material storage areas and illegal construction encroachments at Bara Nghi Quang. Currently, the District People's Committee continues to direct the clearance of aquaculture ponds encroaching on the waterways in Nghi Xa, Nghi Hop, and Nghi Quang communes.

Nghi Loc District People's Committee sincerely thanks Nghe An Newspaper for promptly reflecting the above contents, helping the district increase the effectiveness in directing and managing irrigation in the district.

Nghi Loc District People's Committee