Farmers and households have been left without fresh water in many areasin the Mekong Delta this year because of severe saline intrusion.
Theannual saline intrusion usually occurs from February to May during thedry season. This year, it has extended through July, said Le Phuoc Dai,Head of the Hau Giang province's Irrigation Sub-department.
InHau Giang province, saline intrusion has entered deep inland since July 7in Long My and Phung Hiep districts via the Quan Lo – Phung Hiep canaland Vi Thanh city via Xa No canal.
The salinity of water in the canals has reached 0.11 – 0.6 percent.
CamQuang Vinh, Chairman of the Phung Hiep District People's Committee,said this was the first time in 20 years that Phung Hiep district hadbeen affected by saline intrusion.
In Kien Giang province,saline intrusion has caused damage to nearly 2,000ha of rice in Rach Giacity and Giang Thanh, Hon Dat and Chau Thanh districts.
In areas where saline intrusion is severe, farmers have had to take out dead rice plants and sow rice seeds again.
Salineintrusion has also caused a shortage of fresh water for animalhusbandry and for daily use for at least 300,000 people in Kien Giang.
QuynhThi Kim Tuyen in Hon Dat's My Lam commune said her family's 700 ducks,which were ready for sale, died because they drank saline water.
Tuyen estimated she lost about 40 million VND (1,900 USD).
NguyenVan Tien from Nam Thai A commune in Kien Giang's An Bien district said:"I have lived here for more than 60 years, but I have never seen localpeople face a severe shortage of daily use water like this year."
"Rivers, ponds and fields here have dried up or been infected with saline water," he said.
In addition, people in An Bien district can not drill bored wells because saline water has entered deep inland.
LeXuan Hien, Deputy Director of the Kien Giang province’s Centre forHydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said this historic saline intrusionwould continue as the water level of the Mekong River in upstream areasof Tan Chau and Chau Doc was 0.3-0.7m lower than the same period lastyear.
This year there will be no annual flooding caused by the rising level of the Mekong River, he said.
All 18 sluice gates from Hon Dat to Rach Gia have been closed to prevent saline water and keep fresh water.
InBen Tre, Ca Mau, Soc Trang, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh and An Giangprovinces, saline water has occurred 50-60km deep inland in many areas,causing damage to thousands of hectares of rice, fruits and other crops.
Tien Giang province has spent nearly 25 billion VND (1.1million USD) to dredge irrigation systems, and Bac Lieu province morethan 83 billion VND (roughly 4 million USD) to build 300 irrigationworks.-VNA
Theannual saline intrusion usually occurs from February to May during thedry season. This year, it has extended through July, said Le Phuoc Dai,Head of the Hau Giang province's Irrigation Sub-department.
InHau Giang province, saline intrusion has entered deep inland since July 7in Long My and Phung Hiep districts via the Quan Lo – Phung Hiep canaland Vi Thanh city via Xa No canal.
The salinity of water in the canals has reached 0.11 – 0.6 percent.
CamQuang Vinh, Chairman of the Phung Hiep District People's Committee,said this was the first time in 20 years that Phung Hiep district hadbeen affected by saline intrusion.
In Kien Giang province,saline intrusion has caused damage to nearly 2,000ha of rice in Rach Giacity and Giang Thanh, Hon Dat and Chau Thanh districts.
In areas where saline intrusion is severe, farmers have had to take out dead rice plants and sow rice seeds again.
Salineintrusion has also caused a shortage of fresh water for animalhusbandry and for daily use for at least 300,000 people in Kien Giang.
QuynhThi Kim Tuyen in Hon Dat's My Lam commune said her family's 700 ducks,which were ready for sale, died because they drank saline water.
Tuyen estimated she lost about 40 million VND (1,900 USD).
NguyenVan Tien from Nam Thai A commune in Kien Giang's An Bien district said:"I have lived here for more than 60 years, but I have never seen localpeople face a severe shortage of daily use water like this year."
"Rivers, ponds and fields here have dried up or been infected with saline water," he said.
In addition, people in An Bien district can not drill bored wells because saline water has entered deep inland.
LeXuan Hien, Deputy Director of the Kien Giang province’s Centre forHydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said this historic saline intrusionwould continue as the water level of the Mekong River in upstream areasof Tan Chau and Chau Doc was 0.3-0.7m lower than the same period lastyear.
This year there will be no annual flooding caused by the rising level of the Mekong River, he said.
All 18 sluice gates from Hon Dat to Rach Gia have been closed to prevent saline water and keep fresh water.
InBen Tre, Ca Mau, Soc Trang, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh and An Giangprovinces, saline water has occurred 50-60km deep inland in many areas,causing damage to thousands of hectares of rice, fruits and other crops.
Tien Giang province has spent nearly 25 billion VND (1.1million USD) to dredge irrigation systems, and Bac Lieu province morethan 83 billion VND (roughly 4 million USD) to build 300 irrigationworks.-VNA
