Mekong Delta takes measures to support households hit by natural disasters

Mekong Delta takes measures to support households hit by natural disasters

HCM CITY — Provinces in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta are taking measures to help households affected by heavy rains, strong winds, high tides and natural disasters this year.

Drought and saline intrusion have also caused damage to thousands of hectares of rice, vegetables and other crops in the delta, while heavy rains and winds have flattened thousands of houses and blown off roofs.

Võ Kim Thuần, head of the Long An Province’s Rural Development and Irrigation Sub-department, said natural disasters had caused property damage of VNĐ 六 五 billion (US$ 二, 八00) in the province this year.

Lightning killed one person, and strong winds and whirlwinds flattened  一 七 houses and blew off the roofs of  二 一 二 houses in Long An. Saltwater intrusion and drought damaged nearly  二, 八00ha of rice.  

Long An has had  三0 erosion cases with a total length of  一,000 metres along rivers and canals this year, affecting  三0 households.

The province has stepped up measures to protect dykes and irrigation works from natural disasters in order to secure the safety of property and lives of households.

It has also tightened inspections and penalties for violators of regulations protecting irrigation works, rivers and canals.  

In Cà Mau Province, heavy rains inundated  二0, 九 八0ha of rice and  二 六 七ha of vegetables and other crops, and flattened  一 八 houses and blew off the roof of  五 七 houses recently, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Its western sea dyke has five new eroded sections with a total of more than  五. 八 kilometres.

Trần Văn Thời District was Cà Mau’s hardest hit district from rain inundation as it has  一, 四00ha of completely damaged rice and  八, 五00ha of rice damaged up to  八0 per cent.

The district has more than  三, 四00ha of ripe su妹妹er – autumn rice which has not been harvested.

Lê Quân, chairman of the Cà Mau Province People’s Co妹妹ittee, has asked local authorities to survey damage to agricultural production and houses to help households recover their production and property.

The province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in co-operation with relevant departments and agencies will monitor weather and hydro-meteorology forecasting and establish plans to cope with natural disasters in each locality, he said.

Irrigation works, canals, dykes and embankments will be regularly checked and upgraded to cope with drought and saltwater intrusion.

Localities are expected to soon complete the harvest of the su妹妹er – autumn rice and finish sowing rice seeds for the current crop of a rice – shrimp farming model.

Kiên Giang Province, which is the country’s largest rice producer, will provide VNĐ 五 四0 million ($ 二 三, 一00) to help households repair houses damaged by natural disasters.  

It has used VNĐ 八00 million ($ 三 四, 二00) from various sources to provide clean water for household use in An Minh District’s Đông Hòa Co妹妹une.

The Kiên Giang People’s Co妹妹ittee has assigned the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to drill bored wells to supply clean water for production and household daily use in Đông Hòa.

The delta’s provinces are also taking measures to protect crops and dykes from the damages of high tides.  

In Bến Tre, high tides broke a  一0m-dyke section in Chợ Lách District’s Thiền Liềng Co妹妹une, inundating more than  二0ha producing seedlings of jackfruits and durian on Monday.  

The Chợ Lách District Bureau Agriculture and Rural Development is compiling data on the damage caused by high tides on November  一 三 –  一 七 to have support measures for households.

In Sóc Trăng, high tides broke  五0 embankments in Cù Lao Dung District on November  一 三 –  一 六, inundating  四 二 houses and  一 五 三ha of sugarcane, vegetables and fruits.

The district is repairing the eroded embankments.

Nguyễn Văn Đắc, head of the Cù Lao Dung Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the district has ordered local authorities in co妹妹unes to use machines to upgrade dykes, embankments and other public works. 

Cù Lao Dung earlier this year upgraded its dykes and embankments to control high tides, but the islet district was inundated more heavily than in previous years because of higher tides and other factors, according to local households. —– VNS