Proactively regulate water for summer-autumn crop

Faced with increasingly harsh weather conditions with rising temperatures and prolonged drought, Quang Tri Irrigation Works Management and Exploitation Company Limited (the Company) has been implementing many solutions to regulate and supply water promptly and effectively to ensure safe water sources for the 2025 summer-autumn crop. With the motto "saving - effective - proactive - scientific", water regulation plans and solutions are being implemented synchronously throughout the province.

Farmers in Dong Giang ward produce summer-autumn crop - Photo: MT

The company was assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to manage and operate an important irrigation system including 17 reservoirs with a total designed capacity of 188.5 million m3; 2 dams with a designed flow of 33 m3/s; 29 pumping stations with a total installed capacity of 1,575.5 kW; 10 works to prevent salinity and retain fresh water and a system of 677.5 km of canals.

This irrigation system ensures the supply of irrigation water for more than 32,000 hectares of agricultural land in the province. At the same time, the Company also undertakes the task of preventing salinity and keeping fresh water for more than 13,000 hectares of production land and providing water for industry, aquaculture, daily life and socio -economic development.

In the 2024-2025 winter-spring crop, thanks to favorable weather conditions and effective management, all reservoirs in the area reached 100% of their design capacity. However, with a long-term vision, the Company has proactively saved irrigation water since the beginning of the winter-spring crop, planned to allocate water reasonably for each system, assigned specific tasks to affiliated irrigation enterprises, and is ready to respond to possible droughts in the summer-autumn crop.

Faced with the prolonged hot weather, the Company has developed a detailed water regulation plan, including many synchronous and consistent solutions. First of all, special attention is paid to regulating irrigation water between construction systems.

Surface water from rivers and streams is prioritized for exploitation in the early stages of the crop to operate pumping stations, thereby retaining reservoir water for use in sensitive stages of the crop such as heading, flowering and the end of the crop. This method not only helps save reservoir water but also contributes to reducing the pressure on electricity consumption.

Inter-reservoir water regulation is also effectively implemented. High-level reservoirs will supplement lower-level reservoirs or supply water to common irrigation systems, ensuring that areas with water shortages will receive timely support. In addition, the Company actively implements water-saving irrigation measures to use water resources most effectively.

Water supply is carried out according to the approved plan, and rotational irrigation is applied immediately after sowing, especially from level 1 canals and below. Localities coordinate to propagate to people to reduce irrigation time, extend the break time between irrigations, and limit water loss. When there is a risk of drought, water sources from rivers, ponds, lakes, drainage canals, and recycled water will be maximized for irrigation. Proactively zoning key areas at risk of water shortage, setting up field pumping stations, and prioritizing areas that can be irrigated by gravity are also carried out synchronously.

Management and supervision of irrigation works have been strengthened. The company has increased regular inspections, detected and promptly handled incidents; mobilized people to build embankments to retain water, reduce loss, and protect the system of works.

The saltwater prevention sluices are strictly managed, especially during high tides, to prevent saltwater from entering the fields. The operation of sluices and dams always follows approved procedures and is constantly monitored. In case of prolonged drought, the Company organizes 24/7 duty, regularly updating the water situation to localities to agree on appropriate irrigation schedules.

In terms of construction, the Company has launched a series of dredging and repairing canal systems, from the main canal to the inner fields, to reduce losses and improve water conduction capacity. The pumping station canals have been cleared, and the electricity industry has prioritized stable power supply for irrigation pumping activities. In addition, mobilizing cooperatives and people to build regressive dams to retain water, install small pumping stations, and utilize mechanical means to proactively combat drought are also among the key solutions.

Based on the actual water source and the 2025 summer-autumn crop area, the Company assesses that the water source in lakes and dams is basically sufficient if the weather does not fluctuate abnormally. However, to ensure certainty, specific solutions have been developed and implemented, especially in the Nam Thach Han system. This is an area with a large cultivation area and strict water supply requirements. Here, rotational irrigation is strictly implemented after sowing, while controlling the sluice opening and water supply time.

The electric pumping station is operated at maximum capacity, limiting the use of natural water in the early stages of the season to retain it for the end of the season. The Viet Yen saltwater prevention sluice is closely monitored to prevent saltwater from entering the fields. In addition, the Nam Thach Han rubber spillway is periodically inspected and maintained to ensure the safety of the project and maintain a stable water supply.

In the context of increasingly severe climate change, drought becomes a constant challenge for agriculture , the proactive, flexible and drastic management of Quang Tri Irrigation Works Management and Exploitation Company Limited is the "key" to protecting crops.

Mr. Nguyen Sinh Cong, General Director of the Company said: “The fight to protect water and preserve the golden season is not the effort of a single unit. It is a journey that requires the consensus of authorities at all levels, agricultural cooperatives and especially the people, those who directly cultivate in the fields. Only when everyone joins hands to implement a reasonable, economical and scientific irrigation plan, will the journey through the dry season be truly stable.”

Summer-autumn 2025 is not only a production season, but also a test of proactive spirit, response capacity and smart irrigation management capacity. And with determination and careful preparation, we believe that Quang Tri's golden season will continue to be maintained.

Minh Anh

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/chu-dong-dieu-tiet-nuoc-phuc-vu-vu-he-thu-194130.htm