Ensuring safety for more than 7,000 irrigation works after storms and floods

The whole Tuyen Quang province has more than 7,200 irrigation works serving 79,700 hectares, many works damaged by storms and are being repaired to ensure daily life and production.

According to the report of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tuyen Quang, the province currently has 7,203 irrigation works serving irrigation for more than 79,700 hectares of agricultural land. Of these, there are 500 reservoirs, 4,588 dams, 85 pumping stations, the rest are water wheel systems and self-flowing water wells. The total length of the irrigation canal system in the province is more than 8,000 km, of which 5,575 km are solid canals and 2,375 km are earthen canals, ensuring stable irrigation for more than 85% of the annual rice cultivation area.

However, due to the impact of natural disasters, especially the recent storms No. 10 and No. 11, many irrigation works have been seriously damaged. Statistics show that 51 irrigation works and 20 clean water works have been damaged; 15,227 m of canals, 7,505 m of river and stream embankments and 3 drainage culverts have been eroded and washed away, and need to be repaired soon.

A section of the Lo River embankment passing through Minh Xuan ward was damaged due to the impact of natural disasters. Photo: Dao Thanh.

Mr. Le Anh Dung, Head of the Irrigation Sub-Department of Tuyen Quang province, said that in the face of damage caused by natural disasters, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has developed a plan to maintain and repair irrigation works, with priority given to irrigation works in areas with large cultivated areas and areas that are frequently flooded and drought-prone.

Along with that, the industry is implementing the construction of a database system for dams and reservoirs, establishing maps and flood warning signs, and improving the operational and response capacity of grassroots irrigation management boards.

In the localities, people have also proactively joined hands with the government to temporarily repair minor damages to prepare for the upcoming winter-spring crop. Ms. Bui Thi Xoan, Cang Noc village, Yen Nguyen commune, said that the village had a canal that was cracked after the storm. People in the village contributed cement, sand, and rocks to temporarily fill it, avoiding water loss during the crop season, helping people feel more secure, ensuring they have water to prepare the land and plant crops on time.

Ngoi La irrigation reservoir, the leading irrigation project in Tuyen Quang. Photo: Dao Thanh.

In response to the severe damage caused by the recent storms, the Central Government has supported Tuyen Quang province with 200 billion VND to overcome the consequences. In particular, many irrigation and water supply works in severely affected areas such as Lam Binh commune, Ha Giang 1 ward, Ha Giang 2 ward... have been approved by the province for repair and reinforcement. In addition, the People's Committee of Tuyen Quang province has also proposed the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee to consider supporting 100 billion VND from the Disaster Relief Fund, of which 28.86 billion VND is to support the repair of irrigation and water supply works.

In Thong Nguyen commune, which suffered heavy damage from storms No. 10 and No. 11, the more than 3,000-meter-long Phin Ho village canal was buried by rocks and soil, causing great difficulties for irrigation. Mr. Vu The Phuong, Chairman of Thong Nguyen Commune People's Committee, said that the government and people have mobilized forces to temporarily clear the canal to ensure water for daily life and production. However, for long-term and sustainable restoration, a large amount of State investment capital is needed to support the repair and reinforcement of the canal.

Not only focusing on repairing damage, the Department of Agriculture and Environment also promotes the inspection and assessment of dam and reservoir safety; requires localities to review and develop plans to protect key works, especially in areas with high risk of landslides and people living downstream. Along with that, training and coaching on safe dam operation skills for grassroots irrigation staff, guiding people to proactively respond to natural disasters, ensuring safety for production and people's lives.

With only a few months left until the 2025-2026 winter-spring crop, the repair of damaged irrigation works is being urgently deployed. The goal is that when the production season begins, the canal systems, dams, and reservoirs will all operate stably, ensuring adequate water supply to the fields, helping farmers feel secure in their cultivation.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/bao-dam-an-toan-cho-hon-7000-cong-trinh-thuy-loi-sau-bao-lu-d784237.html