The Dong Vi pumping station is damaged, leaving 40 hectares of rice fields "thirsty".

For the past three spring seasons, over 40 hectares of double-cropping rice fields in Dong Vi and Na Chang hamlets, Ban Dat commune (Phu Binh district), have suffered from water shortages. Farmers who planted rice experienced a 40-60% reduction in yield, and even those who switched to other crops saw unstable yields. The reason is that the Dong Vi pumping station, which draws water from the Dao River to supply the entire area, has been damaged but has not yet been repaired.

The discharge pipeline system of the Dong Vi Pumping Station has been severely damaged.

Ms. Tran Thi Hoa, a resident of Dong Vi hamlet, who owns 4 sao (approximately 0.4 hectares) of rice fields in the Goc Dua and Dong Quan areas and receives water from the Dong Vi pumping station, said: "The spring crop of 2023 was the third time that the rice fields in our hamlet suffered from a severe water shortage. Fortunately, thanks to the rain on the 15th day of the first lunar month, we had water for planting. However, throughout the tillering and flowering stages of the rice crop, there was no irrigation, so one sao of my family's rice only yielded 90 kg of rice (previously, when there was sufficient water, the yield reached 2.2-2.5 quintals/sao). Because of the continuous water shortage for many seasons, my family had to convert 3 sao of our 4 sao of rice fields to growing peanuts and corn. However, the yield was low, and in some cases, we couldn't harvest anything."

Mr. Nguyen Huu Dat, head of Dong Vi hamlet, said: "The pump at the station has been malfunctioning for a long time, and it completely broke down this past spring; the suction and discharge pipes are corroded and have many holes. Previously, during each production season, the hamlet's irrigation team had to make temporary repairs by using rubber bands and cloth to reinforce them, or even pouring concrete on the suction pipe to patch it. Each production season, we had to use up to 50 motorcycle inner tubes to reinforce the pipelines so we could pump water to serve the people. But now, the machine and the pipe system are severely damaged and beyond repair. This worries us greatly, because over 40 hectares of rice paddies are the main source of food for the people in the hamlet."

According to our investigation, the Dong Vi pumping station was built in 2001 and has a capacity of 15KW. Over a long period of operation, the pump's parts and components have been damaged and degraded, leaving the more than 40 hectares of rice paddies in Dong Vi and Na Chang relying solely on rainwater.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Doan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ban Dat commune, said: During the operation of the Dong Vi pumping station, the people and local authorities have allocated funds for minor repairs. However, in the last 3 years, the pumping station has suffered serious damage, while the local budget is insufficient for repairs. The people and local authorities have repeatedly raised this issue at voter consultation meetings, earnestly hoping that the relevant authorities will soon repair the pumping station, but it remains unresolved.

Source link: https://baothainguyen.vn/thoi-su-trong-tinh/202307/tram-bom-dong-vi-hu-hong-40ha-dat-lua-khat-nuoc-49f36fe/