Mekong Delta provinces save locals from drought

Local farmers are drilling groundwater wells (Source :VNA)

Hau Giang (VNA) – The Mekong Delta provinces of Hau Giang and Tien Giang are exerting every effort to save locals from drought and saltwater intrusion.

Hau Giang is drilling 11 groundwater wells in Vi Thanh city, Nga Bay town, Chau Thanh, Phung Hiep and Vi Thuy districts, and Long My town with a capacity of 11,500 cubic meters of water per day.

The drilling costs are over 16 billion VND (720,000 USD), which was sourced from the local budget.

Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Van Dong said the new wells will ensure sufficient water for local daily activities.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lu Van Hung said the severe saltwater intrusion and drought have not occurred in the delta over the past century.

Therefore, the locality is taking a number of measures to deal with the situation, including well-drilling for the first time to ensure fresh water for locals and for irrigation, he added.

Hau Giang has 226 water supplying stations; however, most of them have been degrading over the past 10 years.

In addition to drilling wells, the province has also deployed means of transport to carry water to people in remote areas.

This year’s dry season is forecast to last until July, resulting in severe salinity and water shortages, damaging around 60,000 hectares of rice and 15,000 hectares of fruit trees.

Meanwhile, Tien Giang is working hard to carry water from My Tho city to Tan Phu Dong district.

According to head of the irrigation and flood prevention division under the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Thien Phap, the district is home to nearly 2,800 households with over 13,000 people who are suffering from water shortages.

Right at the beginning of the dry season, the province opened 19 public drinking water taps for locals in coastal areas.

The province is considering an investment of 68 billion VND (3.06 million USD) to install a pipe crossing the Tien River to bring water from My Tho city to Tan Phu Dong district.

The project is scheduled to kick off in June 2016.-VNA