Delayed planting schedule due to salinity intrusion.

Over 360 hectares of agricultural land in Dien Ban Dong and Ngu Hanh Son wards are facing the risk of delaying the 2026 summer-autumn crop season due to severe saltwater intrusion affecting irrigation water from the Vinh Dien river system.

The rice fields in Khai Tay area, Ngu Hanh Son ward, are parched due to a lack of irrigation water. Photo: TRONG HUY

Salinity intrusion in Vinh Dien River

Observations at Khai Tay rice field (Ngu Hanh Son ward) and Ngan Cau area (Dien Ban Dong ward) show that most of the rice-growing land has been plowed by farmers early on, only waiting for the watering and land preparation before sowing can begin.

According to the agricultural calendar, all land preparation and sowing work throughout the city must be completed by June 5, 2026.

However, as of June 4, 2026, the saline intrusion situation on the Vinh Dien River remained extremely complex. Specifically, the water intake areas at the Tu Cau and Cam Sa pumping stations consistently recorded salinity levels exceeding the permissible limits for irrigation pumping. This situation persisted until June 16, 2026, when salinity levels began to decrease.

Mr. Mai Sieng, Director of Hoa Quy 1 Agricultural Production Service Cooperative, said that for the past ten years, summer-autumn crop production has always been carried out according to plan due to the guaranteed water supply. This year is the first time that 75 hectares of agricultural land in the Khai Tay area cannot be sown due to saline contamination of the water supply.

It is known that for the 2026 summer-autumn crop season in the Tu Cau and Cam Sa pumping station areas, the total area that cannot be irrigated for land preparation and sowing after June 5, 2026, according to the seasonal schedule, is 360.81 hectares.

By June 16, 2026, when reporters were present again in the Khai Tay and Ngan Cau areas, the aforementioned fields still lacked water for irrigation. Dao Van Thien, Deputy General Director of Da Nang Water Resources Exploitation Company Limited, explained that the core reason for the saltwater intrusion in the Vinh Dien River was the delay of more than three months in the construction of the temporary saltwater barrier dam this year compared to the usual schedule.

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“After the project to block the flow, prevent saltwater intrusion, and preserve freshwater was completed on May 24, 2026, the saltwater intrusion had penetrated too deeply into the riverbed, exceeding the dam section. Therefore, the saline intrusion situation persists. Although the company and local authorities have regularly operated high-intensity water pumps to release saltwater, the situation cannot be completely resolved, leaving more than 360 hectares of agricultural land without freshwater for production,” Mr. Thien analyzed.

The saltwater intrusion barrier on the Vinh Dien River was implemented late, allowing saltwater to penetrate deeper into the area beforehand. Photo: TRONG HUY

Proposal to invest in the construction of a fixed dam.

It is known that the investor and the unit directly in charge of implementing the temporary saltwater intrusion prevention dam on the Vinh Dien River is the People's Committee of Dien Ban Dong Ward. Explaining the reason for the delay in dam construction, the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Ban Dong Ward, Truong Anh Quoc, said that after the establishment of the new administrative unit to implement the two-tiered local government model, the public investment plan for 2026 (including the investment plan for the temporary saltwater intrusion prevention dam on the Vinh Dien River) was overdue.

Following a plan developed at the end of last year, the ward proactively reviewed and implemented measures to ensure timely dam construction. However, upon starting the project, the locality encountered a shortage of materials (sand) for dam construction. "Only after the locality petitioned and received guidance from the city's People's Committee leadership was the problem of securing the necessary materials for dam construction resolved," Mr. Quoc shared.

As soon as the materials were available, the dam construction was completed quickly, within just one day, from May 23rd to 24th. Although the dam was completed, saltwater intrusion had already penetrated deep into the Vinh Dien River. It wasn't until June 17th that the salinity levels in the pumping stations supplying water to 360 hectares of rice paddies decreased to a safe level, allowing for water pumping for production. However, by then, the planting deadline had been delayed by more than 10 days.

Regarding immediate solutions, Mr. Quoc further informed that, based on local production practices, people can still proceed with plowing and sowing and will be able to harvest in time for the full moon of the eighth lunar month.

However, from the farmers' perspective, Mr. Mai Sieng said that they are currently having to spend money hiring people to plow the unproductive land mentioned above. The people's earnest wish at this time is for the authorities at all levels to consider and provide financial support for plowing and rice seeds to prepare for the next crop season.

Responding to this issue, Nguyen Duc Viet, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ngu Hanh Son Ward, affirmed that, based on the review and report from the cooperative, the local authorities will carefully consider and provide specific support in accordance with state regulations.

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This is also the consensus view of Mr. Truong Anh Quoc. Mr. Quoc added that for proposals that fall outside the ward's authority and current regulations, the ward must submit them to the competent authority for consideration, and only after receiving specific instructions can an official response be given to the people.

To prevent a recurrence of the severe saltwater intrusion that caused significant damage this year, Mr. Quoc said that Dien Ban Dong ward has proactively included the temporary saltwater barrier dam project in its public investment plan for next year. Once approved, the project will be implemented in the early months of the year. Regarding the long-term strategy, the ward has also requested the city to consider investing in the construction of a permanent saltwater barrier dam.

Reportedly, this fixed dam project has an estimated total cost of approximately 350 billion VND. Currently, the project is under the direction of the City People's Committee, which is seeking opinions and assessments on the investment proposal from relevant departments and agencies, aiming to provide a fundamental and sustainable solution for the irrigation system on the Vinh Dien River.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/tre-lich-thoi-vu-do-nhiem-man-3340761.html