The canal, nearly 30 years old, is in serious disrepair.

QTO - Put into use in the late 1990s, the N3 canal, serving both irrigation and transportation in Hoa Trach commune, has seriously deteriorated after nearly 30 years of operation. This situation not only causes many areas of double-cropping rice fields to frequently suffer from water shortages and reduced yields, but also poses a potential risk to traffic safety in the area.

The fields are "crying out for water".

The N3 irrigation canal, which also serves as a road, passing through the former Quang Chau commune (now Hoa Trach commune) was put into operation in 1999. The nearly 2.5km long project connects the combined canal system of Vuc Tron reservoir to the Van rice fields, providing irrigation for nearly 120 hectares of rice paddies belonging to residents of Trung Minh and Tien Tien villages.

For hundreds of households in this area, the N3 canal is considered a vital artery for irrigating their rice fields for two seasons annually, and it also serves as a daily route due to the intersecting roads.

However, after nearly 30 years of operation, especially after experiencing several major floods in 2016, Typhoon No. 10 in 2017, and successive floods from 2020-2023, the canal has suffered subsidence and many sections have severely deteriorated, while the canal's width is narrow, resulting in significant water loss.

According to observations, the mouths and covers of the culverts leading water to the fields in dozens of locations have cracked, with chunks of cement falling off, the concrete on both sides of the canal peeling off, and the bottom of the canal riddled with holes along the entire route; the bracing bars are rotten and broken, causing water leakage along almost the entire length of the canal.

The irrigation canal, which also serves as a transportation route for local residents, is in a state of disrepair, posing numerous potential traffic safety risks - Photo: XP

Mr. Dam Minh Ngoc (born in 1965), residing in Trung Minh village, Hoa Trach commune, said that after each rainy season, the damage worsens. His family owns 3 sao (approximately 0.3 hectares) of rice fields in Dong Van, which are frequently affected by drought due to lack of water for the summer-autumn rice crop. Sections that have already deteriorated continue to be eroded and damaged for many years, with some areas even being washed away, forcing residents to make temporary repairs.

According to many locals, the damaged canal causes irrigation water to frequently escape before reaching the fields. For many years, numerous households have had to abandon their fields due to a lack of irrigation water, especially during the annual summer-autumn crop season.

Mr. Dam Cong Tinh, Deputy Head of Trung Minh village, Hoa Trach commune, said that the canal is about 2.5km long, of which 1.5km also serves as an internal village road. For about the last 5 years, the canal has severely deteriorated. Many sections have cracked, causing water to flow out in large quantities, leaving nearly 120 hectares of rice fields downstream without adequate irrigation. If this situation continues, the rice fields in Van area will have to be abandoned due to insufficient water supply.

Potential safety risks

Not only does it affect production, but the section of the canal combined with the road that has collapsed makes travel more dangerous for people. The road surface is cracked and broken, forcing many motorbikes to ride close to the edge of the fields during the rainy season to avoid sinking. In particular, the infrastructure along the canal route through the intersections was built a long time ago and is no longer suitable for the current traffic density. These intersections, with their high concrete walls, inadvertently create blind spots, posing a safety hazard to road users. In fact, many collisions, both major and minor, have occurred on this combined irrigation canal and road.

Ms. Pham Thi Mai (born in 1969), a local resident living near the N3 canal, said that for many years she has witnessed frequent traffic accidents. Most of the collisions are minor due to people working in the fields not paying attention, but there are also many cases of drivers crashing into concrete walls due to obstructed visibility at intersections along the canal.

"During the historic flood of 2020, continuous heavy rains completely washed away a section of the canal more than 20 meters long. The former Quang Chau commune government allocated 3 million VND and mobilized residents to contribute an additional 6 million VND for temporary repairs. In subsequent years, the local government also allocated funds for repairs several times, but these were only temporary fixes for a short period. Local residents are hoping for attention and upgrading of the N3 canal system so they can feel secure in their production and transportation...", said Mr. Dam Cong Tinh, Deputy Head of Trung Minh village.

Notably, because the canal was designed and constructed without concrete covers over the culverts, it is extremely dangerous. Ms. Mai said that there have been tragic cases of children drowning in the section of the canal running through the residential area. Local residents have had to use their own funds to cover the canal openings to prevent risks to children.

Investing in the construction of the N3 irrigation canal is urgent to create favorable conditions for people in Trung Minh and Tien Tien villages to confidently engage in production and also to facilitate transportation.

According to Nguyen Thanh Binh, Chairman of the Hoa Trach Commune People's Committee, during meetings with voters, residents have repeatedly requested investment in the construction of the canal as soon as possible. However, due to limited local funding, exceeding the commune's capacity, the project has not yet been implemented.

"Currently, the local authorities have submitted a proposal requesting the competent authorities to consider and facilitate the allocation of investment capital to upgrade the N3 canal. The total length of the canal is approximately 2.5km, of which about 1.5km will be combined with internal village roads. The commune People's Committee estimates the construction cost at approximately 15 billion VND," Mr. Binh added.

Xuan Phu

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/toa-soan-ban-doc/202512/tuyen-kenh-gan-30-nam-tuoi-xuong-cap-nghiem-trong-6fc7d64/