The People's Committee of Ly Son island district in the centralprovince of Quang Ngai has warned residents to stop digging wells in thesearch for water for farming, Vice Chairwoman of the Committee, PhamThi Huong told Vietnam News recently.

Huong said some locals haddug up six big wells up to four metres across and 10m deep in an effortto supply watering for their onion farms during the worst drought thisyear.

"We warned residents in An Hai and An Vinh communes that this could deplete the island's underground water," Huong said.

"Wehave used a total of 414 traditional wells and 132 drilled wells toprovide water for homes and more than 100 hectares of onions andvegetables. But some residents have started to dig wells withoutpermission," she said.

The Vice Chairwoman said the drought had forced the district to reduce areas of onion farm due to a serious lack of water.

"BetweenApril and May, when there is rarely any rain, farmers switched todrought resistant plants, such as maize, beans, sesame and melons," shesaid, adding that water spraying had been advised to save water.

LySon island, 30km off the coast of Quang Ngai province, known as theKingdom of Garlic, has used 83 percent of its total groundwater reservesduring the worst drought in the island's history.

The island's20,000 cu.m Thoi Loi reservoir has limited water for farming and living,while nearly half of wells used for farming have become saline.

The local administration also advised farmers to buy or make metal or concrete tanks to store water.

The district has also asked the province to build a 100 billion VND (4.8 million USD) desalinisation station.

LySon island has 21,000 inhabitants. They make their living from farminggarlic and onions - and fishing. The island provides 3,500 tonnes ofonions and 2,000 tonnes of garlic each year.-VNA