Can Tho (VNA) - The Indian Government will support seven water management projects in the Mekong Delta provinces of Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, and Tien Giang with non-refundable aid of 350,000 USD.
At a ceremony in the Delta’s Can Tho city on September 23, representatives from the Indian Consulate General in HCM City and the localities signed seven memoranda of understanding for the projects, each worth 50,000 USD.
They are part of 26 quick-impact projects funded by India in 22 Vietnamese cities and provinces, 13 of which have been completed while 12 others will be launched during the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Speaking at the event, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma said the traditional relationship between the two nations is a successful model in terms of institutional support and capacity improvement in various fields over the past years.
Deputy head of the Foreign Ministry’s General Economic Department Pham Thi Anh said the activity is a symbol of the enduring friendship among member states of the Mekong - Ganga Cooperation (MGC) as well as between Vietnam and India.
The Mekong Delta has been facing drought and saltwater intrusion at record levels. Rainfall this year is 30-40 percent lower than previous averages and is forecast to remain low in the future.
The MGC is an initiative by six countries: India and the five ASEAN countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Launched in 2000, it is one of the longest-standing sub-regional cooperation mechanisms in the Mekong Delta, with the goal of enhancing solidarity and friendship among nations and promoting trade and economic development to contribute to improving people’s lives in the Mekong and Ganga River basins./.
![Drought, saltwater intrusion cause big losses to Tra Vinh](https://imagev3-lang.vietnamplus.vn/480x320/Uploaded_EN/sxtt/2020_09_15/Drought_saltwater_intrusion_cause_big_losses_to_Tra_Vinh.jpg.webp)
Drought, saltwater intrusion cause big losses to Tra Vinh
Drought during this year’s dry season has caused losses of around 1 trillion VND (43.4 million USD) in the Mekong Delta of Tra Vinh, said Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Pham Minh Truyen at a conference on September 15.