Drought in the Mekong Delta (Source: VNA) Ben Tre (VNA) – Residents in An Duc commune, Ba Tri district, in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, on April 24, flocked to the communal People’s Committee Office to get drinking water under a desalination programme launched by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee.
Under the programme, water filters were also given to residents to help them access clean water in the context of increasing seawater encroachment.
Vice Secretary of the provincial Party’s Committee Tran Ngoc Tam said prolonged drought has caused severe clean water shortages and devastating saline intrusion that damaged agricultural production in the province.
HCYU Secretary Nguyen Anh Tuan said the situation is forecast to get worse, adding that the programme aims to ease the water shortages.
Dredging wells, installing water pipelines and building water tanks will be conducted under the programme. Assistance will also be provided to construct effective irrigational systems and dikes to stop seawater intrusion.
An additional six desalination systems will be given to disadvantaged areas in Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Ca Mau, Tien Giang, and An Giang, targeting 300 people in the provinces.-VNA
