Impacted by drought, the agricultural production of nearly 3,000ha of summer and autumn rice in Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa Province is facing cut backs due to water scarcity...
Impacted by drought, the agricultural production of nearly 3,000ha of summer and autumn rice in Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa Province is facing cut backs due to water scarcity. Locals are advised to save water in production and daily life.
Water source scarcity
Drought and water scarcity are expanding in some localities in Cam An Bac, Cam An Nam, Cam Hiep Nam, etc to the west of Cam Lam District. Famers are trying to make every drop of water count to save mango trees and other existing crops. Water scarcity is becoming increasingly problematic. Some streams have dried up due to drought.
Farmer Tran Chi, Quang Duc Village, Cam Hiep Nam Commune said the toughest-ever drought has left many streams under extreme stress. It takes him 4 days to pump water for his 1.5ha of Taiwan and Australian mangoes during the fruiting period while he used to spend only 1 day for the work. He has prepared cassava propagules to grow when it rains. He is worried about the crop quality if the drought continues. He has suggested for support for drilling wells because the cost, VND4.5 million/ well, is out of farmers' reach.
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Nguyen Van Dung, Chairman of Cam Hiep Nam Commune People’s Committee says the water pressure booster station in Cam An Nam is in use to basically meet the demand for water for daily use. Only 4km of the pipeline, 2nd phase, invested by Khanh Hoa Department of Agriculture & Rural Development has not been developed yet.
200ha of sugar canes, 300ha of cassava and nearly 400ha of mango are in need of water to be kept alive. The commune plans to mobilize locals to dredge 150 ponds and lakes; build up 30-50 new ones; balance the commune budget to fund the work, VND500,000 each for dredging and VND1 million each for building new ones. In addition, the commune has mobilized locals to save water, build water storage tanks and dig ponds lined with canvases for watering fruit trees.
Cam An Bac is also in severe water scarcity. Farmer Nguyen Oai in Trieu Hai, Cam An Bac says the water for daily use is assured thanks the water supply plant in Cam Ranh. Wells have dried up for a couple of months. Agriculture is adversely impacted by drought and water scarcity.
Ho Van Trung, Chairman of Cam An Bac Commune People's Committee reports water supply from water plants and wells are still meeting daily use. The problem is the lack of water for agricultural production. Many streams, rivers and ponds are under extreme stress. Luckily, crops of rice and cassava have finished early. Farmers are pumping water from some streams to water their farms. The Management Board of Investment & Irrigation 7 is going to restart the operation of Ta Ruc Pond canals.
Drought solutions
The leader of Cam Lam District says at present, low water levels are seen at local water reservoirs, Cam Ranh lake with 20% of water remaining, Suoi Dau lake 21%, only enough for daily use and industrial production in some areas if there is no rain in the coming time.
3,550 households with more than 13,000 people are forecast to be in need of water for daily use in the communes of Cam Hoa, Cam Hiep Nam, Cam Tan, Suoi Cat and Cam An Nam. Under the circumstances, the district has mobilized locals to use water economically; boost the repair of damaged water supply devices and keep gravity water supply systems clear (5 systems). Cam Ranh Pacific Construction Investment & Commercial Joint Stock Company (COPAC) has been asked to strengthen pumping stations and renovate old pipelines and branch lines to ensure water supply for daily life.
In addition, the district has directed communes and towns to drill 30 wells, build 30 water storage tanks, dredge 69 old ponds to serve homes without access to running water supply; dredge canals Bo De, Suoi Cat; canals in Cam Hoa Commune, Suoi Tan Commune, Cam Thanh Bac Commune, Cam Tan Commune; repair damaged ones, namely B8, Cu Loi, Cam Hoa, NN2 Suoi Cat, etc.
The district has suggested postponing the summer and autumn crop of nearly 3,000ha with estimated VND154 billion in damage; using water from ponds and wells to save water for existing crops. Cam Phuoc Tay Commune still has sufficient water for summer and autumn agricultural production (377ha) thanks to water supply from Ta Ruc Pond.
Drought solutions at present include mobilizing locals not to sow rice or transfer crop structures in drought-hit areas; boosting water search such as drilling ponds, drilling wells; dredging canals for agricultural production; applying mulch over the soil around industrial trees and fruit trees. The drought solutions of the district are expected to cost VND20 billion, including VND13 billion for fighting drought and VND7 billion for post-drought production recovery support.
V.L
Translated by N.T
