Drought damages rice crops in Kien Giang province. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The People’s Committees of provinces and citiesacross the country have been ordered to outline plans to fight drought andsaline intrusion in the context of low water levels in many reservoirs, makingit hard to provide sufficient water for agriculture production during the dry season2018-2019.
Under Direction No.8382/CT-BNN-TCTL issued by the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development on October 26, localities should keep close watch on thewater levels at irrigational facilities, have rational water distribution plans,dredge canals to reserve water and build dykes to prevent saltwater.
Also, they are requested to rearrange crops, and grow drought-resistant varietiesto ensure that their productivity will not be badly hit. Water-savingirrigation systems are highly recommended to deal with drought.
The ministry asked the Water Resources Department to monitor developments ofhydrometeorology to give timely warning to localities and competentauthorities. It is responsible for guiding locals how to ensure adequate waterfor farming. Meanwhile, the Department of Crop Production should work to ekeout water resources through demarcating seedling areas.
As for the Construction Department, it should step up construction ofirrigational works, especially in drought-prone provinces, to supply enoughwater for agricultural activities.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, there is60-70 percent chance of El Nino from November this year, and drought is said tocome earlier than other years.
Currently, water level in reservoirs in the North, Thanh Hoa and Nghe Anprovinces and the Central Highlands reached 80 percent of designed capacity.Low level is recorded in Quang Tri (22 percent), Thua Thien-Hue (18 percent),Quang Ngai (20 percent), Binh Dinh (13 percent) and Khanh Hoa (28 percent).-VNA
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