The arduous task of finding underground water sources.

Water is the source of life, especially for agricultural production. However, during the dry season, exploiting groundwater resources in some areas of Cay Khe, Tan Thuan, and Con Tran hamlets (Tan Hoa commune) and Dong Rum, Hamlet 4, and Hamlet 6 (Tan Thanh commune, Tay Ninh province) is facing many difficulties. This is considered an extremely arduous, costly, and risky battle against drought for farmers.

The current situation around a borehole that has been lowered to accommodate a water pump.

To save their crops, farmers have no choice but to dig "underground wells." They dig 2-3 meters deep into the ground to lower the elevation for the pumps, hoping to find a water source from the groundwater to serve their production. Even then, one well isn't enough; they have to drill double wells in the excavated pits and connect them to a single source to provide sufficient water for the pumps. It's an incredibly arduous and costly endeavor.

The pit is dug to a depth of 2-3 meters.

Ms. Huynh Thi Thu, a cassava farmer in Dong Rum hamlet, Tan Thanh commune, said that during this season, if the water pump isn't lowered to a suitable height, there won't be enough water to irrigate the crops. The cost of drilling a well, digging a hole, and installing the pump ranges from 4-5 million VND per well, depending on whether the land has a favorable groundwater source.

Two wells at the bottom of the pit are connected to form a common water source leading to the pump.

According to Ms. Thu, because the groundwater level drops low during the dry season, most farmers have to drill two wells in one hole. These are then connected to a single source to prevent the pump from running out of water. However, the water flow is still not strong enough for wide-area irrigation using rotating sprinklers, so farmers have opted to invest in a drip irrigation system to control water usage at the base of the plants.

Ms. Huynh Thi Thu adjusts the drip irrigation hose.

Drip irrigation is considered a water-saving solution.

Moreover, drilling and digging underground wells depends heavily on luck. In many cases, wells are abandoned after being drilled because they don't hit a reliable groundwater source. Some people have to abandon 2-3 wells before finding one with a relatively stable water source, and the costs increase accordingly.

One of the wells was unsuccessful due to a weak groundwater level.

"Often, well drillers spend the whole day struggling without drilling a single satisfactory well, getting tired, exhausted, and wasting fuel on their drilling equipment... Although the agreement states that payment is only made if the well yields 'good' water, most employers still cover the additional costs incurred when the well is unsuccessful," shared Mr. Vo Ngoc Minh, a cassava farmer in Hamlet 6, Tan Thanh Commune.

In addition to investments in well drilling, digging trenches to lower the pump's elevation, and fuel, farmers also have to lay irrigation pipes across their fields.

That's not to mention other investments such as fuel for the pumps, wear and tear on machinery that has to operate continuously at high capacity to pump water from deep pits to the surface, along with the irrigation pipeline system covering the entire field.

Deep pits, 2-3 meters deep with sheer edges, always pose a risk of landslides, especially in confined spaces and where the constant noise of machinery creates strong vibrations.

The hardship and expense are not the only challenges. Deep pits, 2-3 meters deep with sheer cliffs, pose a constant risk of landslides, especially in confined spaces and amidst the constant vibrations from machinery. Farmers in these areas are gambling with these risks in exchange for water to save their crops. Every meter dug represents a meter of hardship and danger.

Driven by the need to earn a living, farmers persevere, working tirelessly and striving to find water sources to ensure agricultural production. The journey to find underground water sources is truly arduous.

Quoc Son

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/gian-nan-tim-mach-nuoc-ngam-144019.html