Cam Thuy proactively provides irrigation water for spring crops

Song Chu One Member Co., Ltd. - Cam Thuy Irrigation Branch currently manages 5 reservoirs (Thung Bang, Duong Coc, Bo Ket, Lang Lut, Phenh Khanh reservoirs) and 6 electric pumping stations (Cam Binh, Cam Son, Cam Giang 1, Cam Giang 2, Cam Tan 1 and Cam Tan 2 pumping stations) serving irrigation and drainage for more than 1,320 hectares of spring rice crop in 2024 in Cam Thuy district and part of Ba Thuoc district.

Cam Thuy proactively provides irrigation water for spring crops Thung Bang Reservoir (Cam Ngoc Commune) has stored enough water as designed to serve agricultural production in the area.

Currently, the reservoirs have stored enough water as designed, ensuring water supply for irrigation of crops. However, due to the influence of low water level of Ma River and depending on the power generation schedule of some hydroelectric plants on Ma River, the pumping stations are often unable to get water for pumping.

Typically, Cam Tan 2 Pumping Station currently has no water source for irrigation. In the difficult conditions of Song Ma water source, Song Chu One Member Co., Ltd. - Cam Thuy Irrigation Branch has proactively overcome difficulties, installed a field pumping station from the drainage canal to pump water to the end of the main canal for Cam Tan 2 Pumping Station and upgraded, repaired, improved and extended the water suction speaker at Cam Binh Pumping Station to pump water for irrigation and timely drought prevention for crops. Cam Thuy Irrigation Branch proactively dredged the suction tank, the channel leading to the pumping stations, dredged the irrigation canal system, collected trash, cleared the flow and mobilized engineers and workers to serve production, took shifts at the main construction site, the irrigation system, operated the pumping stations, and provided enough water in time for localities in the region to irrigate and protect against cold for the winter-spring rice crop.

Before the 2024 winter-spring crop production period, Cam Thuy Irrigation Branch has inspected, maintained, repaired machinery and equipment, deepened and widened the entrances to the pumping station's suction tanks to increase the amount of water in the suction tanks, dredged the irrigation canal system with an excavation and filling volume of more than 2,000m3 of mud and soil. Developed and implemented irrigation and drought prevention plans, set up irrigation schedules for each project and strengthened the management of water resources in lakes and dams, implemented economical irrigation; regulated irrigation water reasonably; assigned staff and workers to stay in the area to lead water to the fields, ensuring timely irrigation water supply for agricultural production.

By March 2024, Cam Thuy district had 106 irrigation works, mainly lakes and small dams, of which 8 lakes and dams were seriously degraded. Along with that, the situation of low earth dams, small cross-sections, upstream and downstream slopes were eroded, overflowed, culverts were damaged, the lake bed was silted... unsafe, unable to effectively serve agricultural production as designed, causing disadvantages for the development of agricultural production and people's lives in the area, typically Mo Cun lake (Cam Phu), Bai Tram dam (Cam Long), Bai En dam (Cam Quy), Dinh Huong dam (Cam Thanh)...

To proactively overcome the water shortage, Cam Thuy district has directed communes to convert crop areas that do not have enough water for irrigation to grow drought-resistant crops. The district and communes mobilized the entire population to do irrigation in the dry season, dredge and clear the flow of canals, repair minor damage to works, build embankments to retain water. Along with that, proactively check and evaluate the irrigation capacity of the works to have remedial measures such as dredging suction tanks and channels for some pumping stations to operate when the Ma River water level is low. In addition, communes also promote internal resources to construct small works such as dams, small dams to temporarily raise water from the flow of rivers and streams... to irrigate and support crops in the area, especially during the rice-growing and flowering period. Propaganda and mobilization of people to use irrigation water from lakes, dams, and ponds economically; Use oil pumps to take advantage of water from ponds, streams... to irrigate crops during prolonged hot weather.

With many sources of capital, in the past two years, a number of irrigation works in the area have been invested in, built, repaired, and upgraded to serve agricultural production. Typical examples include Bai Mong Lake (Cam Lien), Cay Sung Lake, Va Va Lake (Cam Tam Commune)...

Currently, 3,483 hectares of spring rice crop in Cam Thuy district have enough irrigation water to ensure rice growth and development.

To overcome the water shortage, in the long term, in addition to the State's investment in repairing and building new irrigation works, Cam Thuy district also needs to proactively plant upstream forests, ensure ecological balance, and create water sources for irrigation works serving agricultural production.

Article and photos: Thu Hoa

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