Drought to affect about 70,000 hectares of 2015-2016 Winter-Spring Crop in Dak Lak (04/03/2016, 21:49)
On 2nd March, the Provincial People’s Committee held a meeting with the Subcommittee on Drought Prevention and Fight to evaluate the situation of irrigation water resources for production as well as take measures of drought fight in Winter-Spring crop of 2015-2016. The attendees were representatives of Departments, Boards and Sectors, People’s Committees of districts, Town and City. Standing Vice Chairman Y Dham Enuol chaired the meeting.

Participants at the meeting

Following PPC’s directions, the PCs of districts, town and city have cooperated with relevant agencies to take measures to cope with drought such as storing water in reservoirs since the rainy season of 2015 as well as actively carrying out propaganda activities to local people for the implementation of water-saving solutions, plant transformation or deduction of production area in the regions at high risk of drought.... However, it is forecasted that the dry season of 2016 could outlast by the impact of El Nino and it might cause water shortage for plants and daily lives.

In the Winter-Spring crop of 2015 - 2016, nearly 273,000 hectares of plants in the whole province need watering including 46,000 hectares of annual crops and over 226,000 hectares of long-term industrial crops (coffee, pepper, cocoa ...). Although it is at the beginning of dry season, the area of ​​crops in some localities is suffering from water shortage. About 755 hectares of coffee and 189 hectares of rice in disadvantaged areas or downstream areas of the small irrigation work systems are being lacked of water. About two thousand households in Buon Don, Ea H'Leo, Krong Buk, Cư M'gar, Krong Bong, Krong Nang districts are facing a water shortage.

A representative of the Provincial Hydrometeorology Radio speaks at the meeting.

Due to the early end of the rainy season 2015 with low total rainfall, the amount of water in rivers, streams and irrigation work systems maintains at low level. Many small streams have dried up, and several reservoirs are exhausted leading to no water resources serving for irrigation. Up to now, the drought has dried up nearly 46 of 599 reservoirs in the province. And it is estimated that 250 small reservoirs will be expectedly affected by drought, as well as underground water resources cannot be exploited in many areas at the end of March, 2016.

According to the evaluation of Provincial Subcommittee on Drought Prevention and Fight, approximately 70,000 hectares of crops in the province shall be affected by the drought, most of which are coffee in the areas of water shortage and rice at downstream areas of irrigation work systems or in regions of small reservoirs dried up early. In addition, 25,000 households will lack of domestic water.

As reported at the meeting, the People’s Committees of districts, town and city in the province have actively cooperated with reservoir management units to apply rotational water supply for drought prevention. However, the capacity of the reservoir systems in the province cannot meet the irrigation demands for a large area of crops, focusing on coffee plantations far from water resources. Regarding to shortage of domestic water, the localities have actively found the solutions by drilling or transporting water from the neighborhood to serve for the residents.

Mr. Y Dham Enuol - Standing Vice Chairman of PPC speaks at the meeting.

Addressing at the meeting, Mr. Y Dham Enuol evaluated that the localities have strictly followed the PPC’s guidance on drought prevention and fight. He also highlighted the necessity of the whole political system as well as the mobilization of local people to join hands in the implementation of measures fighting against drought. Firstly, it shall be given the priority to supply clean water for the residents. Concerning to the rotational water supply, reservoir management units shall coordinate with localities to widely inform the drainage time to the farmers at downstream regions to irrigate timely. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development proposes to the PPC in suggesting enterprises owning large reservoirs actively coordinating in fighting against drought, and regularly checking the operation process of reservoirs management units for irrigation and hydropower in the province. The authorities of districts, town and city shall review and evaluate the capacity of its water reservoirs for irrigation to recommend local people not to produce in areas which cannot ensure water quantity or suitably transform plants in the next season. Besides, it is necessary to dredge exhausted reservoirs, and actively store water for the rainy season.

Tuan Hai