The province ensures adequate water source for agricultural production

In order to proactively prevent and limit damage caused by droughts, water shortage, and ensure water sources for production and daily-life activities of people in the province, irrigation industry have solutions to bring effective results. Binh Duong Newspaper had an interview with Vu Ngoc Thin, Deputy Director of Provincial Irrigation Sub-Department, about this issue.

The authority checks a sluice gate of Da Ban reservoir in North Tan Uyen district.

 - Now it is the peak of dry season, do reservoirs in the province have enough water for agricultural production and daily-life activities, sir?

The province has three reservoirs for irrigation of agricultural production, these are Can Nom, Da Ban, Doc Nhan, and are managed by local authorities. In addition, there is an irrigation canal system under Suoi Giai reservoir's irrigation system managed by Binh Phuoc province. The water volume of these reservoirs is currently from 28.98% ÷ 78.85% of the design useful capacity.

According to the report of management units, the reservoirs are guaranteed to irrigate the winter-spring crop 2022-2023, and now people have finished harvesting the winter-spring crop, are preparing to sow the summer-autumn crop. It is expected that these reservoirs will ensure water sources for irrigation of the summer-autumn crop. Regarding domestic water supply, up to now, lack of water has not happened. Currently, most rural communes in the province are equipped with clean water supply works, from 2018 to now, there has been no shortage of domestic water in this dry season in the province.

- What is your assessment of the operation of irrigation works during the peak dry season?

- The operation of irrigation construction works is carried out by management units in accordance with the approved normative process; rational, economical and efficient use of water, ensures adequate supply of irrigation water for agriculture, avoids leakage and loss of water sources. Based on the situation of water sources, management units made detailed irrigation plans, balanced water sources, forecasted areas to ensure irrigation water of each canal in irrigation zones, to collaborate with local authorities to recommends people arrange production structures accordingly. These units also regularly check and determine the reservoir water level and the remaining water of reservoirs during the irrigation process to have a reasonable water distribution plan and take timely adjustment measures.

For irrigation areas using tidal water, the units regularly monitor saline intrusion on Saigon and Dong Nai rivers to take appropriate measures to use water for production of riverside people; manage, operate, and regulate sluices under dykes reasonably to both prevent saltwater intrusion and ensure irrigation water for crops; avoid closing the drain for a long time and continuously will increase the alum level, which will kill plants. For areas that have not been affected by saltwater intrusion (Dong Nai river), the units make the most of the tide to pump water for irrigation in upstream areas.

- Due to the above situation, does the risk of saltwater intrusion affect agricultural production and daily-life activities, sir?

- Saltwater intrusion appeared from the beginning of January 2023, the salinity is low, not affecting the water for domestic use and agricultural production. The agricultural sector has closely coordinated with Southern Irrigation Exploitation One Member Limited Liability Company in operating and discharging water of Dau Tieng reservoir so that the Southern Irrigation Exploitation Liability Company can ensure the minimum flow. Due to close cooperation with Southern Irrigation Exploitation One Member Limited Liability Company in discharging and maintaining the minimum flow after the dam, the salinity on the Saigon River has decreased, not affected daily-life and agricultural production activities.

- How has the Sub-department implemented synchronous solutions to prevent drought and saltwater intrusion, sir?

- The Sub-department of Irrigation regularly updates and informs units and localities about hydrometeorological situation, saline intrusion situation in time to serve the drought prevention; regularly notify the discharge of saline water from Dau Tieng reservoir on Saigon River to districts, towns, and cities along the river so that agencies, units, and people can take initiative in production and daily-life activities.

The Sub-department of Irrigation recommended Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to propose Provincial People's Committee to issue a directive on strengthening measures to prevent and combat drought, salinity and forest fires in the dry season; informed localities, units managing and exploiting irrigation works about solutions such as organizing the operation of irrigation works in accordance with process to ensure adequate supply of irrigation water for agriculture; for irrigation areas using tidal water, we recommends monitoring saline intrusion on Saigon River to take appropriate measures to use water for production of riverside people.

On the other hand, the sub-department directs reservoir management units to inspect and assess the situation of water sources; identify specific areas for ensuring irrigation, areas of water shortage for each area, each irrigation canal route for each specific crop, develop an appropriate regulation plan to ensure production until the end of the crop.  Then to make recommendations for people to actively change appropriate crop structure from beginning of each crop, especially rice cultivated areas having difficulty in irrigation water. In addition, the office worked closely with Dau Tieng - Phuoc Hoa Irrigation Exploitation Company to operate water discharge to ensure natural flow and push saltwater on Saigon River during dry season.

In addition to the above solutions, the Sub-department informs and recommends localities to take measures to supplement domestic and production water sources such as dredging dug wells; concentrate pumps to extract water from rivers and streams and guide people to apply measures to keep moisture around the roots and use water sparingly.

- Thank you Sir!

Reported by Thoai Phuong - Translated by Ngoc Huynh