VNS (29-03-2006)

Workers carrying out construction work at Van Coc Irrigation Project in the northern province of Ha Tay. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuan Quyet

An ambitious national irrigation development master plan aiming at increasing the capacity of irrigation reservoirs to 80-85 per cent from 60-70 per cent has been submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The plan includes development of existing reservoirs between 2006 and 2010, and the ministry’s vision for 2020.

A deputy director of the Department of Water Resources, Le Nam, said it was necessary to have a good system of irrigation reservoirs to ensure sufficient water supplies during the coming dry summer months.

Nam said the existing reservoirs were only able to regulate up to 8 per cent of all the precipitation nationwide. The most important measure that could help solve the problem of water shortages in the dry season, Nam suggested, was to expand and build new systems of reservoirs in all regions with water-supply potential.

In addition to building mega-lakes for hydro power plants like Son La, Huoi Quang, Ban Chat and Na Hang in the northern province of Tuyen Quang, small reservoirs should be built to address the water needs for production and households in the northern mountainous region, Tay Nguyen (the Central Highlands) and the south central part of the country, he said.

But for the immediate future, the irrigation sector will formulate regulations for the operation of reservoir systems in the Da and Lo rivers to ensure that the water level of the Hong (Red) River running through Ha Noi never dips below 2.2m. In addition, all major irrigation works will be upgraded for multi-purpose use by the agriculture, fisheries and transport sectors, the latter in the way of land water-way transport, Nam said.

According to forecasts by the Hydro and Meteorological Centre, the first floods are likely to arrive between May and June. If that were the case, water flow in northern provinces will be about 3,000-4,000cu.m per second. In the central provinces, the first floods are expected to arrive a month later, in July.

Based on this information, Nam predicted it was unlikely that Viet Nam will suffer serious droughts like it did last year. However, the Department of Water Resources has urged farmers and irrigation works management units to make the best use and save as much as possible of the water available.

In regions that often suffer droughts, Nam suggested that farmers should restructure their crops so as not to be dependent on irrigation.