Bac Ninh: Multi-sector exploitation of irrigation

BAC NINH - Bac Ninh has a diverse irrigation system including dykes, reservoirs, dams, canals, etc. The works are designed with multi-purposes, both to prevent floods, prevent natural disasters and store water for production, regulate the environment, and combine with the development of transport infrastructure, which is the driving force for socio-economic development.

Clearly identify potential

Cam Son Lake is located in Tan Son and Son Hai communes (Bac Ninh) and part of Lang Son province. The lake has a capacity of about 250 million m³, one of the five largest irrigation works in the country. Mr. Hoang Quoc Bao, Director of Bac Song Thuong Irrigation Works Exploitation Limited Liability Company, said: The unit was assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to directly manage Cam Son Lake. The lake ensures irrigation water for more than 24,000 hectares of cultivated land in a number of communes and wards of Bac Ninh and Lang Son provinces. The freshwater source here has good quality and stable flow, so it has been exploited by DNP - Bac Giang Water Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company to supply domestic water to thousands of households living in a number of urban areas, residential areas, and rural areas in the province, with an exploitation capacity of 20,000 m³/day and night to 80,000 m³/day and night, making an important contribution to ensuring clean water for daily life.

Cam Son Lake has the role of regulating water, providing domestic water and developing tourism .

Like Cam Son Lake, other large irrigation works such as Khuon Than Lake, Bau Lay Lake, Cay Da Lake, Va Khe Lake... not only store water but also attract tourists by the majestic landscape and mountains. In recent years, the transportation system has been renovated and upgraded to help vehicles travel conveniently to the villages and hamlets in the lake area. Taking advantage of the advantages, many cooperatives have exploited the type of experiential tourism with activities such as rowing, fishing, enjoying cuisine , learning about the culture and customs of local ethnic minorities.

The whole province currently has more than 584 km of dykes (level I - V), 1,400 pumping stations, 274 reservoirs, 203 dams and 12,000 km of canals; some large lakes include: Cay Da, Khoanh Song, Cau Cai, Cua Coc, Va Khe; important dyke routes such as right Thai Binh, left Cau, right Cau, left Thuong, right Thuong. The irrigation system plays an important role in natural disaster prevention and control, infrastructure protection, industrial zones, agricultural production and people's lives. Thanks to investment capital from the Central and local levels, many works have been upgraded in a multi-purpose direction, basically meeting the needs of irrigation, drainage and domestic water supply. 100% of the dykes are asphalted and concreted, ensuring flood prevention and being a vital traffic route in rural areas.

Mr. Ngo Xuan Hiep, Chairman of Trung Kenh Commune People's Committee, said: "The Thai Binh right-hand dike running through the commune is more than 7 km long and 7-13 m wide and has been 100% solidified. "First near the road, second near the river", convenient transportation is the driving force for the locality to develop livestock farming with more than 202 hectares of aquaculture in earthen ponds, 657 fish cages on the Thai Binh River; waterway transport services; rice and crop cultivation, creating jobs and income for people in rural areas".

Multi-purpose investment

It can be seen that despite investment attention, due to limited resources, the irrigation infrastructure in the province is still inadequate. Many pumping stations, lakes and dams built in the 70s and 80s of the last century have now degraded and have not been repaired in time. Every year, in some places, there is still a local water shortage due to the limited capacity of irrigation works to take and store water. In the mountainous commune of Son Dong (Vinh An commune and the old town of An Chau), the location of irrigation works is not suitable for the planning of residential development, so every year there are 2-3 months when people lack water for local daily activities.

The whole province currently has more than 584 km of dykes (level I - V), 1,400 pumping stations, 274 reservoirs, 203 dams and 12,000 km of irrigation and drainage canals. Some large lakes include: Cay Da, Khoanh Song, Cau Cai, Cua Coc, Va Khe; important dyke routes such as Thai Binh on the right, Cau on the left, Cau on the right, Thuong on the left, Thuong on the right.

In July 2023, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 847/QD-TTg approving the Planning for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Irrigation for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050. This is a master plan to protect people, property and production from the impacts of natural disasters, ensuring water supply and effective drainage for daily life, agricultural-industrial-service-tourism production, combining aquaculture and environmental protection. Following the direction of the Central Government, every year, the Irrigation Sub-Department (Department of Agriculture and Environment) inspects, reviews and evaluates the current status and operational capacity of irrigation works. The unit compiles a list of degraded and damaged works, and recommends to the province and relevant agencies to pay attention to renovating, repairing and upgrading.

Comrade Dang Cong Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, emphasized: The industry continues to advise the province to invest in and renovate irrigation works in a multi-purpose direction, exploiting many values. This solution requires a huge amount of funding. Therefore, the unit recommends that the Provincial People's Committee mobilize all resources from the local and central budgets and socialize from enterprises, cooperatives, and individuals who directly benefit. For the Cam Son reservoir project, the Bac Song Thuong Irrigation Works Exploitation One Member Limited Liability Company is reinforcing the upstream dam slope, repairing the spillway body, and paving the upstream stone slope of spillway No. 1. When put into use (expected before December 15, 2025), it will effectively support the enterprise in the process of managing, regulating floods, and storing water for production and daily life.

Regarding the degraded dykes and pumping stations, the province proposed that the Central Government consider supporting funding for emergency treatment and upgrading the entire dike on the left of Cau, pumping stations: Vong Nguyet 2, Cam Bao, Ngo Khong, Cong Bun, Thai Son 1,2,3, Quang Bieu... with a total cost of more than 3.2 trillion VND.

Building and expanding the irrigation system in a multi-purpose direction helps Bac Ninh ensure safety in preventing and combating natural disasters, proactively providing water for production and daily life. This is also a new direction that opens up opportunities for green and sustainable economic development, in line with natural disaster prevention and control planning, contributing to protecting and improving the quality of life of the people.

Article and photos: Mai Toan

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bac-ninh-khai-thac-da-nganh-tu-thuy-loi-postid424578.bbg