March 29, 2024 | 08:08 GMT +7

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Monday- 22:05, 27/06/2022

Ensuring water security is the future of agriculture

(VAN) Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep emphasized the significance of water security at the workshop to review the first 6 months of 2022 and implement key tasks.

Ensuring water source for production

Mr. Luong Van Anh - Deputy Director of the General Department of Irrigation reported that since the beginning of 2022, irrigation works have not been affected by climate and weather compared to previous years, but in the Central region and the Northern Delta, the lowering of the water level in the downstream of the Red River - Thai Binh river system greatly affected the regulation of water discharge for production and people's lives; In the Mekong Delta region, salinity intrusion is also lower compared to the average level of many years.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that the goal of ensuring water security is the most important focus. Photo: Minh Phuc.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that the goal of ensuring water security is the most important focus. Photo: Minh Phuc.

On the other hand, the Northern Delta and the central provinces had seen heavy rains resulting in flooding and waterlogging in the crops. For the 2021-2022 winter-spring crop, the General Department of Irrigation coordinated with Vietnam Electricity Corporation to carry out 3 water discharge phases from hydroelectric reservoirs lasting for 16 days, ensuring water supply for 506,558 hectares of rice in the Central region and the Northern Delta.

The total volume of regulated water discharged in all three phases was 4.24 billion m3. The total discharge volume was 0.90 billion m3 lower compared to 2021, 1.56 billion m3 higher compared to 2020 (the year with heavy rain on Lunar New Year), 0.18 billion m3 lower compared to 2019 and 1.5 billion m3 lower compared to 2018.

In the Central region, Central Highlands and Southeast regions, the General Department regularly warns the localities about drought and water shortages in order to prepare farming plans suitable to the current weather situation.

Subsequently, areas with limited water sources must expand, cease production, areas with water shortage must covert to crops that require less water for irrigation; farmers should also consider early sowing to utilize the remaining water of the winter-spring crop, as well as avoid the drought season, the lack of water at the end of the dry season and the risk of flooding and waterlogging at the end of the season if rain occurs early.

For the Mekong Delta region, the General Department regularly monitors weather and water sources; organize early forecast, regularly and continuously update on the state of salinity intrusion, drought and water shortage in the Mekong Delta, provide regular newsletters and messages to the Ministry and local governments.

Handing over Cua Dat and Ta Trach works to businesses

Mr. Luong Van Anh also said that, in order to improve the efficiency of irrigation management and exploitation, the General Department will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies and units under the Ministry of Finance to finalize the dossier and report to the Prime Minister on the assignment of Cua Dat and Ta Trach irrigation infrastructure to businesses under the Ministry; organize the implementation of policies on appraisal of prices for irrigation products and services...

As of May 2022, 34 out of 63 provinces have issued Resolutions stipulating the level of support for the development of small irrigation, in-field irrigation, advanced and water-saving irrigation in the province.

Cai Lon - Cai Be irrigation works help control water sources for production, people's livelihood and socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta.

Cai Lon - Cai Be irrigation works help control water sources for production, people's livelihood and socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta.

In the first 6 months of this year, the General Department organized working groups to inspect the status of dams and water reservoirs and work on ensuring the safety of dams and reservoirs in some areas. The General Department also reported to the Ministry on the safety of dams and reservoirs in the provinces of Nghe An, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Lang Son, Kon Tum, Gia Lai.

In 2022, the General Department of Irrigation is assigned with the management of 26 projects (7 transitional projects and 19 pre-investment projects), with a total capital of over 1,000 billion VND, accounting for nearly 15% of the total fund by the Ministry. The plan is to disburse over 20% of the capital by June 30, 2022.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh - Director of the General Department of Water Resources said that for the period of 2021 - 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development assigned the General Department of Water Resources to be the focal point to disburse nearly 9,700 billion VND of medium-term public investment capital.

“We are committed to accomplishing the task of disbursement. However, the most important focus is to ensure the quality, efficiency of the infrastructure, and strive to have several projects appraised and accepted by the end of this year."

Handling violations of irrigation works

In the first 6 months of the year, the General Department also established an inspection and handling team for the construction of Tan Chau solar power plant within the protection area of ​​Dau Tieng reservoir in Tay Ninh province from January 19, 2022. The General Department coordinated with the Police Department of Environmental Crime Prevention (C05) under the Ministry of Public Security to set up 3 inspection teams on wastewater discharge into irrigation works in Bac Ninh, Hai Duong provinces and production facilities operating in the provinces of Hung Yen and Hai Duong.

The General Department appointed officials to participate in 4 inspection teams under related ministries and branches on the observance of laws in the irrigation system of Bac Hung Hai, Hanoi, and Thai Nguyen. The General Department also issued 1 Decision on t handling of administrative violations in the field of irrigation in Tay Ninh province with a total fine amount of 80 million VND.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep concluded the workshop that in the immediate future, the goal of ensuring water security is of the utmost importance. And it affirms the future of the irrigation industry as well as its position with many tasks to accomplish.

We have completed the construction of the Master Plan on Irrigation and Disaster Prevention towards 2030 with a vision to 2050, ensuring both progress and quality. The related ministries and sectors have all concurred.

“Although the National Council has not met to approve the Master Plan, I highly praise our efforts. This is a great contribution by the General Department of Irrigation, the General Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control as well as scientists, and critics," said Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep.

The Deputy Minister said that the results achieved by the General Department of Irrigation in the management of irrigation works for agricultural restructuring and disaster prevention; law-making tasks; national standards and regulations, etc has proven the spirit of solidarity, agreement and sharing in the General Department, contributing to the implementation of the objectives and tasks assigned by the Government to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Author: Minh Phuc

Translated by Nguyen Hai Long

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