Operate Cai Be, Cai Lon sluice soon to prevent drought and salinity, said Deputy Minister

That was the direction of Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep at a working session held on January 15 to inspect the prevention of salinity and drought, overcoming their consequences and building agricultural works in the southern Kien Giang Province.

During the working session, the ministerial delegation inspected the operation of Kenh Nhanh sluice gate (Rach Gia City)-the newly completed project put into use to help close the estuaries in Rach Gia City which discharge water to the West Sea. Thanks to the new project, Kien Giang has been proactive in providing fresh water to the province's water plant supplying clean water for citizens in Rach Gia and the neighboring districts. At the same time, the project helps protect rice production from salinity in key districts such as Tan Hiep and Hon Dat.

While inspecting the construction of Cai Be sewer, the Deputy Minister asked construction units to speed up the progress so that by mid-February they will close the gate, ensuring effective prevention of salinity from the beginning of the dry season. For Cai Lon sewer, the contractor needs to mobilize the best engineers and experts in installing the mechanical parts of the project ensuring accuracy and soon putting them into operation from May.

Reporting to the delegation, Mr. Nguyen Huynh Trung, Director of Kien Giang Irrigation Sub-Department said that saltwater has been penetrating tens of kilometers deep into some rivers in the province. Specifically, on the Lon River, the salinity of 4.0g/l has penetrated 33km deep, while in Go Quao District, the 1.0g/l salinity has entered 44km. Similarly, on Cai Be River, the saline intrusion of 4.0g/l and 1.0g/l has affected through 16km in Chau Thanh District and 27km in Giong Rieng District respectively.

The province has set up a plan to build 340 dams to temporarily prevent seasonal salinity, with a financial source of about VND 160 billion. However, if Cai Be sluice gate can operate early in February, it will help reduce the operation of about 160 temporary dams, mainly in Giong Rieng District. In addition, U Minh Thuong District has installed eight large-capacity pumps to help store and provide fresh water for irrigating in more than 13,000 hectares of forests and agricultural land.

Kien Giang also proposed the Government, ministries and central agencies soon support funding of more than VND163 billion among the total of over VND521 billion that it needs to proactively cope with the risk of drought, water shortage, salinity intrusion in dry season 2020-2021. The remaining sum will be mobilized by the province itself from other sources.

The Deputy Minister highly appreciated the authorization of Kien Giang Province with measures effectively implemented over recent times to prevent and combat salinity. Typically, the building of temporary dams to efficiently protect agricultural production has become good examples for other localities to follow.

In addition, the conversion of crops to avoid drought has been quite successful, helping Kien Giang pass a year of fruitful successes with bumper harvests. Its agriculture output has exceeded the scheduled plan while farmers enjoyed high prices of products and a good income.

On this occasion, the delegation visited and gave gifts to farmers in An Bien District which had been affected by natural disasters, drought and saline, and encouraged them to settle down soon.

The Deputy Minister asked related units to complete the temporary operation of the project right in this January, so that when the Cai Be sluice gate was closed, the project could operate immediately and promote efficiency. He also urged a similarity to the operation of Cai Lon so that to ensure the effectiveness in preventing saline and drought right in the dry season this year and to make Cai Lon - Cai Be irrigation system to become a symbol of efficiency of public investment and a typical project of exceeding construction progress.

Compared with the scheduled time assigned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the work has exceeded 4 months. it has also exceeded 10 months over its whole plan.