Hanoi (VNS/VNA) -Farmers in Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces are struggling to fightfloodwaters caused by heavy rains, rising tides and water released in the wakeof a dam breach in Laos.

Mekong countries have also discharged water from their reservoirs after the dambreach in Laos, causing water levels to rise in the delta, Tran Ba Hoang, headof the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research,told ufabetindo777.site.

The water level was expected to peak at 3.4-3.6m, he said.

According to Nguoi Lao Dong (The Labourer) newspaper, thousands ofhectares of rice and cash crops in An Giang province had been submerged in AnPhu, Tinh Bien, Chau Doc and Tan Chau, causing huge losses to farmers.

Tran Anh Thu, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, said flooding caused by the rising level of Mekong River wouldoccur earlier than usual this year.

The provincial agriculture sector has instructed localities to closely monitorthe weather and tides in order to inform people of when they would need toharvest crops not protected by dyke systems.

Local authorities had been helping farmers to upgrade dykes, drain water fromrice fields and harvest crops quickly to minimize losses, Thu said.

Vo Hung Kiet, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Thanh Hung commune inLong An province, said the flood water was rising by 5-7cm each day but thedyke system was incomplete, so farmers had no time to harvest tens ofhectares of rice.

At a recent meeting on natural disasters in the Mekong River Delta, Nguyen TruongSon, deputy head of office of the Central Steering Committee on DisasterPrevention, said localities had been instructed to closely monitor thesituation and provide updated information to authorized agencies and localresidents.

He also asked provinces in the Mekong Delta to prepare disaster response plansand be ready to evacuate, and the provinces of Dong Thap, Long An and An Giangto harvest the early summer-autumn rice crop, especially in low-lying areas.

According to forecasts, water levels in the Mekong Delta will continue to risequickly over the next 2-3 days due to floods from upstream, but then recede dueto low tides.

Water levels will peak at 3.7m at the Tan Chau Station on the Tien River and3.7m at the Chau Doc Station on the Hau River by August 18.

Regarding the situation in the North, Son said the Central Steering Committeeon Disaster Prevention was also monitoring floods in the Bui and Hoang Longrivers and directing local authorities to ensure the safety of dyke systems andkey irrigation works.-VNS/VNA