Farmers need emergency aid as Mekong falls
Vientiane Times, By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
(Latest Update February 23, 2010)
Seven irrigation projects on the Mekong River in Vientiane are encountering insufficient water inflow because the river level is falling more rapidly than usual, an official said on Friday.
Some 3,680 hectares of rice fields in Hadxaifong and Pakngum districts irrigated by the seven irrigation systems are affected by the rapid decrease in the level of the river, said a technical official from the Vientiane Irrigation Division, who asked not to be named.
The situation in these two districts is deemed to be at crisis level. The drop in the river level is the most serious ever recorded, he told Vientiane Times.
The river is dropping at an average rate of about 10 centimetres per day, he said, adding that the water level had been falling continuously since early this month.
The situation is particularly serious at two irrigation projects - one in Don and the other in Mark-hiew village in Pakngum district. Officials have been digging to deepen the channels and release water into the pumping station since December, and are still doing so.
Though these seven stations are still operational, they are unable to run at full capacity due to the insufficient inflow of water, the official said.
The tubes of the pump at some stations reach underground beneath the water. We are currently deepening the channels, he said.
Looking towards a long-term solution, on Friday the division submitted a report on the situation, together with a possible solution, to the Vientiane mayor and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The division proposed to form a committee to look into the issue. It also asked for the sum of 632 million kip to dig channels through the exposed riverbed to allow water to flow into the pumping stations.
An additional 915 million kip is needed to move the pumping stations as the water level falls, he said, adding that this was only the initial amount proposed.
Generally, the river is at its lowest in April and May so the situation could get even worse.
If action is not taken quickly, this dry season's rice production could be affected, he said. In 40 to 50 days from now, the paddy rice will have the most urgent need for water.
Furthermore, the official continued, if the Mekong falls by another 30-50 centimetres, the total 39 irrigation projects in the five riverside districts of the capital will suffer.
This will mean that the districts of Sangthong, Sikhottabong and Sisattanak will also encounter problems with their rice crops. As much as 9,135 hectares of rice, irrigated by the 39 projects, could be affected in total.
Khammuan provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department Deputy Director, Mr Viengkham Xayaphone, said the province had not yet received any reports of irrigation projects on the river being affected in the same way.
Mr Viengkham noted that the level of the Mekong in Khammuan was at normal levels. He attributed this to the fact that there are several tributaries flowing into the Mekong upstream of the province.
Last year, irrigation systems in Khammuan suffered from a similar drop in the level of the Mekong |
