Provincial Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited: Proactively deploying response solutions during the rainy and stormy season

Rain, floods and the impacts of natural disasters have directly impacted many areas of life, economy and society. Therefore, right at the beginning of the rainy and stormy season, the Provincial Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited has proactively deployed measures to prevent, combat and respond to natural disasters.

Au Kim Dai, operated by the Provincial Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited, has brought high efficiency in the province's disaster prevention and control work. Photo: Contributor

Recently, many heavy rains have occurred, affecting agricultural production. Specifically, with rice, there are rains that cause flooding, affecting newly planted rice, leading to replanting, increasing costs and delaying the harvest. With rice areas preparing for harvest, heavy rains affect quality and productivity.

Typically, the recent heavy rains due to the influence of storm No. 2, with rainfall up to 457mm in some areas, caused nearly 6,200 hectares of newly planted Summer-Autumn rice in the province to be deeply submerged under water. Immediately after that, another rain due to the influence of storm No. 2 further increased the flooding situation, many rice areas that could not recover had to be replanted. To quickly overcome the consequences of the heavy rains, the Provincial Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited operated 309 pumps/74 stations and opened 30 sluices under the dike; 13 sluices, overflowing lakes to drain water and save rice. Many rice areas have been quickly drained. At the same time, localities also directed and implemented coordination with units to zone and regulate water appropriately for each newly planted rice area.

Provincial Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited proactively deploys response solutions during the rainy and stormy season — The irrigation canal from Me town (Gia Vien district) to Dong sluice has not been invested in construction to meet the requirements of irrigation work, creating a civilized and modern environmental landscape. Photo: Minh Duong

It is forecasted that the peak of this year's rainy and stormy season in Ninh Binh will fall between August and early September, so the Provincial Irrigation Works Exploitation Company has proactively mobilized resources and means to operate works to respond to heavy rains to protect agricultural production. Implement plans to ensure the safety of irrigation works, paying special attention to reservoirs.

Comrade Vu Tran Kien, Deputy Director of the Provincial Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited, said: As a unit managing irrigation works, the Company strictly implements regulations on reservoir safety management every year. The Company is managing a total of 152 pumping stations for irrigation, drainage, and combined irrigation, with 655 machines; 219 locks and culverts; 7 reservoirs and 1 weir with a total useful capacity of 25.51 million m3; 314 canals, with a total length of 692,925.9 m.

To proactively respond to unusual weather developments and extreme weather phenomena this year, from the beginning of the year, the unit established an inspection team to assess the quality of works, machinery and equipment before the 2024 flood season and synthesize damages that need to be repaired, replaced and upgraded to serve as a basis for planning repairs, serving agricultural production and flood and storm prevention.

Through inspection, the Company proposed and carried out repairs to 94 pumps, motors, pipes and electrical equipment of all kinds; 122 machine bases, foundations, walls, doors and roofs; 127 culverts under the dike with leaks, replaced culvert wings, repaired opening and closing machines; 130 irrigation and drainage canals repaired leaks, built canal walls, dredged and cleared the flow. In particular, the Company conducted a survey of the current status of 7 reservoirs: Yen Quang, Thuong Xung, Da Lai, Dap Troi, Yen Thang, Yen Dong, Nui Va and Thac La dam to detect weak points that need to be repaired to best meet the requirements for serving this year's rainy and stormy season.

In addition, the Company has supplemented materials, tools, equipment and repaired vehicles and equipment for natural disaster prevention and control, ready to respond to incidents. Communication work during the rainy and stormy season has also been carefully prepared. "We implement a 24/7 duty regime, ensuring the "4 on-site" motto and strengthening coordination with the local Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Control and Search and Rescue to deploy measures to prevent and respond to extreme weather events during the 2024 rainy and flood season," added Mr. Vu Tran Kien, Deputy Director of the Company.

In 2024, due to the impact of climate change, the weather and hydrology forecast for the rainy, storm and flood season will have complex and unpredictable developments. Ninh Binh is likely to be affected by 1-3 storms, tropical depressions, and 8-11 heat waves. The average temperature for the whole season is high, and rainfall is approximately equal to or lower than the average of many years. In addition, it is necessary to guard against other dangerous weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, lightning, hail, strong gusts of wind, and heavy rain in a short period of time causing flooding in urban and low-lying areas.

In addition, heavy rains in the northern mountainous provinces caused upstream hydroelectric reservoirs to flow downstream, causing water levels on the Day and Hoang Long rivers to rise, making it difficult to drain floodwaters in flood-divided and delayed flood areas.

In response to the above forecasts, the Company has implemented synchronous solutions to cope with extreme weather phenomena, especially localized heavy rains. In the immediate future, the Company has lowered the water level in reservoirs, ensuring that river water levels are at a safe level.

In particular, to ensure safety for industrial parks and clusters during the rainy and stormy season, the Company has coordinated with the Provincial Industrial Parks Management Board and the Department of Industry and Trade to proactively clear the flow and repair pumping stations for safe operation during prolonged heavy rains.

The 2024 storm season is coming and it is forecasted that there will be many complicated developments in the coming time. We believe that with the close attention of all levels and sectors, the initiative and responsibility of the Provincial Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited and the support of the people, the work of natural disaster prevention, control and search and rescue in the province will achieve many positive results. Thereby, contributing to minimizing damage to people and property.

Nguyen Thom