The central region is unusually dry

Although the end of the rainy season but never Central Vietnam was hot as this year. Millions of farmers stand in front of worries about crop failure due to depleted reservoirs and pests.

In Quang Ngai, early in the morning, the sky was hot and intense. Normally at the end of November, rivers and lakes are full of water and this time is mostly inert. Standing on the bridge looking down the Tra Khuc River, next to Quang Ngai City, looks like "desert" by the vast sandy beach.

Fishermen travel on the vast sandy beach at the bottom of Tra Khuc river. (Photo: Tri Tin)

Although Quang Ngai Irrigation Works Company has closed the water discharge valve for more than a month, some of the highest reservoirs only reach less than 50% of capacity. Mr. Nguyen Nhung, Director of the company said that at the end of the rainy season, this year falls into the driest "dry season" in the past 20 years. The agricultural sector is mobilizing people to dredge inland canals, saving maximum water sources to combat drought.

"In this season, every year, the weather is cold, not sweltering to 34 degrees C like summer. The average temperature in November this year is the highest since 1958, the rainfall is only 20-40% compared to average for many years, " said Nham Xuan Sy, Director of Quang Ngai Hydrometeorological Center.

Going to the countryside, wherever I go, I hear the farmers complaining, the drought is intense."According to the seasonal calendar, it is a few days to go to the field to cultivate vegetables, but now it is too much to be afraid of sowing seedlings that cannot grow. This year it is too little, the soil is not covered with alluvium, pests and diseases Boiling raging, the fall harvest is a sure thing, " said a farmer living in Tinh An commune (Son Tinh district).

Central farmers increase watering for historical drought-resistant crops. (Photo: Tri Tin)

Commenting on the weather this year is somewhat harsh, Mr. Phan Trong Ho, Director of Binh Dinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said, the risk of drought in the winter-spring crop and the whole year 2013 is huge. About 3,300-4,300 hectares of winter-spring rice are likely to be dehydrated. Binh Dinh is planning to distribute irrigation water for each reservoir project, giving priority to water supply for domestic use, animal husbandry, aquaculture, rice seed production areas, key rice areas .

Meanwhile in Phu Yen, over the past few days, Song Ba Ha hydropower cannot run a generator because the lake water is close to the dead ink. Mr. Dang Van Tuan, Chairman and General Director of Song Ba Ha Hydropower Joint Stock Company was surprised because from the day hydropower went into operation, there was never any abnormal water shortage like the rainy season this year. "L is only about 40-50m ³ of water per second, if we run 50% of the capacity of the two units, only one day the lake will go below the water level , " said Tuan.

Also according to him, Ba Ha river hydropower plant has no running water, no water to return to Ba river, so the pumping stations in the downstream area are immobile, causing hundreds of hectares of upcoming winter-spring rice crops to be at risk of drought. serious. Especially if the Ba Ha river hydropower plant does not return water to Ba river, the water supply plant in Son Hoa district will stand down, nearly 10,000 households here are at risk of water shortage.

Hot sunshine, people in Ly Son island district (Quang Ngai) feces
The family members took turns taking plastic cans
take fresh water from Só La well to use in daily life. (Photo: Tri Tin)

In the same situation, these days, thousands of households living along Thu Bon River (Quang Nam) are anxious because of the prolonged hot weather. Many large hydroelectric plants in the area accumulate water to generate electricity, causing serious downstream water shortage.

Life, living and production of nearly 1.7 million people in the downstream areas of Vu Gia - Thu Bon River in Quang Nam and Da Nang City are heavily dependent on the discharge of water discharged from hydropower plants at the upstream. But there is not yet a basin management board, which has not completed the process of operating lakes and lakes, so when it comes to drought in the downstream area, it is only possible to go to help the Government, ministries and branches to intervene.

Mr. Huynh Van Thang, deputy director of Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that it is very inadequate for the government to regularly apply for water from upstream hydropower plants. However, there is still no basin management board, no objective supervision, so it is impossible to manage the discharge of hydropower plants.

According to the Central Hydrometeorological Center, most of the rainfall in the Central region is caused by storms, tropical depressions and northeast monsoon winds. This year, the central region has low tropical depression and monsoon, so it occurs in dry season and lack of rainfall about 50% compared to the average of many years. It is forecasted that from now to the end of the year, the Central region will remain dry because there is only one tropical depression.