Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Kon Tum (VNA) – Kon Tum declared drought emergency level 1 on March 16, becoming the second Central Highlands province after Gia Lai to make the announcement.
On the same day, the provincial People’s Committee ordered its cities and districts to promptly undertake drought preventive measures that involve both local authorities and people to minimise economic losses.
The province has zoned off drought-hit areas and asked its local authorities, without delay, to dredge canals as well as save the water supply for farming at these areas.
Farmers have been supported in pumping water into their farmlands during key stages of the crops while preferential policies have been adopted to help farming production in drought-affected areas return to normal.
As of March 16, drought has affected approximately 1,200 hectares of crops in the province, including more than 700 hectares of winter-autumn rice and 400 hectares of coffee.
Over 3,700 wells used daily by local people, especially in Ia H’Drai, Dak To and Sa Thay districts and Kon Tum city, alongside 400 lakes and dams for irrigation have dried up.
Kon Tum has been provided with 17.6 billion VND in state funding and 2 billion VND from the Central Highlands Steering Committee and the Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) to cope with the severe drought.-VNA
