Conserving water to cope with drought.

Binh Thuan: The Binh Thuan Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited is strengthening water resource management and coordinating water rationally and economically to cope with drought.

Ensure irrigation water for the winter-spring crop.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Khoa, Deputy General Director of Binh Thuan Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited, said that for the 2024-2025 winter-spring crop season, the company will provide irrigation for 33,429 hectares of rice, basically ensuring the set plan. To date, farmers have harvested more than 11,200 hectares; nearly 6,800 hectares have completed water supply, and 16,429 hectares are still being irrigated. The company guarantees that no rice fields will suffer from water shortage.

Over the past period, Binh Thuan Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited has effectively regulated irrigation water to serve agricultural production. Photo: Engineer.

“To ensure irrigation water for the winter-spring crop, we have directed the company's subordinate units to strengthen water resource management, coordinate water rationally, and make full use of water discharged from the Dai Ninh and Ham Thuan hydropower plants. At the same time, we have developed a water supply plan from irrigation systems, scheduled water supply for each canal, and coordinated with water user groups to regulate irrigation water efficiently and effectively. In addition, we have accelerated the maintenance of irrigation works, especially dredging and clearing the waterways of canals to serve irrigation and water supply. As a result, the water supply remains at a high level compared to the same period last year,” Mr. Khoa stated.

According to Dai Ninh Hydropower Company, in the first three months of 2025, the company ensured water supply as agreed upon at a meeting with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) and Binh Thuan Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited, with a generator flow rate of 12-16 m3/s. This water supply was provided to the Song Luy irrigation reservoir (Bac Binh district) to provide water for domestic use as well as agricultural production in Bac Binh, Ham Thuan Bac districts and Phan Thiet city.

In the coming period, the company will continue to harmonize the goals of both generating electricity to ensure supply for the remaining months of the 2025 dry season and providing sufficient water to meet local needs.

We need to use water sparingly.

According to Mr. Khoa, as of April 7th, the usable water volume in the province's reservoirs exceeded 176 million cubic meters, reaching 48.8% of the design capacity, 68 million cubic meters higher than the same period last year. The water storage in the Dai Ninh hydropower reservoir was over 153 million cubic meters, reaching 60.9% of the design capacity, 22.4 million cubic meters higher than the same period last year; the Ham Thuan hydropower reservoir had over 310 million cubic meters, reaching 59.5% of the design capacity, 12.2 million cubic meters higher than the same period last year.

Currently, irrigation reservoirs in Binh Thuan province are holding higher water levels than last year. Photo: KS.

According to Mr. Phan Van Tan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Binh Thuan province, water resources in irrigation reservoirs and two hydroelectric reservoirs will ensure sufficient water for people's daily needs until June 30th. At the same time, it will meet the irrigation needs for the 2025 summer-autumn crop season as planned, covering a total area of ​​over 46,100 hectares, including over 30,700 hectares of rice and other crops, over 12,800 hectares of dragon fruit, over 2,100 hectares of fruit trees, and over 400 hectares of aquaculture.

However, with increasingly complex and unpredictable weather patterns, proactive measures to prevent and combat drought, water shortages, and saltwater intrusion are essential.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Phan Van Tan suggested that it is necessary to educate the people in the province to proactively use water economically and implement measures to cope with drought and water shortages.

Binh Thuan Irrigation Works Exploitation Company Limited continues to accelerate the repair of irrigation works, water intake gates, and pumping stations, especially dredging and clearing waterways to ensure smooth water flow for agricultural production.

The Binh Thuan Irrigation Works Exploitation Company will closely monitor weather developments to proactively adjust water supply plans to suit the actual situation, prioritizing water for domestic use and livestock farming, followed by water for agricultural irrigation.

Source: https://nongnghiep.vn/tiet-kiem-nuoc-de-ung-pho-han-han-d747097.html