A delegation of officials from the Quang Tri Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment surveys Bau Nhum - Photo: PXD
This information sparks curiosity and becomes even more interesting when one learns that the dam is located in Quang Binh province and provides irrigation water for the rice fields of Vinh Linh, Quang Tri . The author has visited this dam many times.
Strange dam
Actually, this dam was built during the French colonial period, designed by Mr. Nguyen Uoc (later the Deputy Director of the Vinh Linh Irrigation Department), a public works official. Everything would have gone on, and surely no one would have paid attention to this dam, if it weren't for an unexpected and serious incident that occurred at a sensitive time when the country was divided right at the 17th parallel...
Engineer Nguyen Ty Nien (born in 1939), currently living in Hanoi , former Head of the Vinh Linh Irrigation Department, former Director of the Department of Dike Management and Flood Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, recalled: “When I took up my position in 1962, the Bau Nhum reservoir, with a capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters of water and a 5-meter-high dam, had just broken, flooding a large area and burying dozens of hectares of rice fields in sand. At that time, the radio station on the South bank was constantly broadcasting about Vinh Linh's dam breaking, houses being swept away, and people dying.”
"Mr. Tran Dong, the Chairman of the Vinh Linh District, summoned me and assigned me the task of restoring the project by all means and bringing water to the Co Trai fields near Cua Tung to demonstrate the superiority of the North and reassure the people on the South bank of the demarcation line."
It was a truly difficult and arduous task in such a critical situation, but there was no other way. Mr. Nguyen Ty Nien immediately began his research, but the documentation was almost nonexistent, with only the site evidence of a broken sand dam.
But from that, he realized: "I discovered something very strange: the reservoir is located entirely in the middle of a vast sand dune area. Surveys revealed water cones on the endless range of white sand dunes stretching right to the sea, so my initial conclusion is that the reservoir's water source comes from the groundwater of the white sand dune range along the coast..."
After seeking assistance from geological researchers in Hanoi, engineer Nguyen Ty Nien realized he needed to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors in his own way: "I noticed that the old dam failed, but the solution implemented by my predecessor was innovative. Further research is needed to address the limitations caused by inaccurate assessment of water inflow, leading to dam overflow, and the structural integrity of the dam body may have been the cause of the dam failure."
However, the implementation process proved incredibly difficult. When the design was presented to managers and scientists in Hanoi, almost no one agreed for a simple reason: No one in the world builds irrigation dams using sand; if they did, it would be a fantasy or a romantic fantasy. Some supported the idea but refused to approve it. Engineer Nguyen Ty Nien had no choice but to return to Vinh Linh to report to the Vinh Linh Regional leadership.
Mr. Tran Dong, the Chairman of the Zone, asked directly: "The Ministry hasn't approved it, but given the urgent demands of the political task in the border region, you're an engineer, can you do it?" Mr. Nien replied that he could, and was confident of success. Thus, the work was carried out urgently, mainly by hand. Water flowed along the nearly 30-kilometer-long canal from Quang Binh to Vinh Linh, and then to Co Trai, irrigating the fields.
A view of the Bau Nhum irrigation dam - Photo: PXD
Bau Nhum today
Today, Bau Nhum, located next to National Highway 1 in Sen Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, remains as beautiful as a painting and shines brightly in the sunlight, providing a refreshing respite for those witnessing it amidst the scorching heat and the burning winds of Laos.
Mr. Nguyen Ty Nien added: “Nearly 50 years after Quang Tri province brought the Asian Development Bank to Bau Nhum Lake for inspection and to secure a loan for upgrading the structure, they exclaimed: ‘We’ve traveled the world and never seen such a unique and beautiful reservoir!’”
Meanwhile, Mr. Ho Xuan Hoe, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Tri province, expressed his feelings: “This is a unique and extraordinary project. Moreover, it is a testament to the close bond between Quang Binh and Quang Tri. This is even more meaningful now that the two provinces are united.”
Yes, in the bowl of rice from the many fields of Vinh Linh, there is the soil, the water, and the deep human affection from the infinitely dear and familiar Quang Binh.
Pham Xuan Dung
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/cong-trinh-doc-dao-nghia-tinh-hai-que-194628.htm
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