Unusual floods in mid-June
Near mid-June, no one could have imagined the scene of rice fields in Dien Sanh (Hai Lang, Quang Tri province) being flooded with white floodwater. In previous days, the rice in the fields grew well, and people were even worried that they would be short of water due to the prolonged heat. However, due to the impact of storm No. 1, after only 1 day of heavy rain, the water has overflowed the fields. In the fields of Hai Binh, Hai Truong and Dien Sanh communes of Hai Lang district, the rice fields in the rice branching stage have submerged in water, with no trace left.
In Hai Binh commune, Mr. Nguyen Huu Phuoc - Director of Kim Long Cooperative - said that out of the total 160 hectares of summer-spring rice sown by this unit, on June 12, more than 120 hectares were deeply flooded, with a great possibility of damage.
On June 13, the rain was still heavy, the remaining 40 hectares continued to be flooded. We mobilized human and material resources to reinforce the dykes and pump water to the full capacity but were helpless" - Mr. Phuoc sighed.
In Hai Truong commune, floodwaters rose 20 to 50cm across the dike surface for nearly 1km. Although the government mobilized pumps and sent people to be on duty day and night, the water flow was so fast that hundreds of hectares of rice could not be saved.
According to Mr. Le Duc Thinh - Chairman of Hai Lang District People's Committee, the whole district has more than 6,740 hectares that are flooded. Among them, many areas were flooded too deep for drainage.
By noon on June 13, the whole province of Quang Tri had more than 18,000 hectares of rice flooded, causing heavy damage.
The dike line is degraded and no longer suitable?
The dike in the lowland of Hai Lang has been in use since 2008, and has now made an important contribution to protecting agricultural production. However, according to Mr. Duong Viet Hai - Vice Chairman of Hai Lang District People's Committee, this system is deteriorating. Assessing more deeply the reason for the ineffective dykes, Ms. Nguyen Hong Phuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Quang Tri province - said that unusual weather factors are the main cause.
Previously, when constructing, the consulting unit had carefully calculated. However, climate change in recent years has caused unseasonal floods, with heavy rainfall exceeding the design threshold of the dykes. Some sections are degraded but have not been properly invested in and repaired" - Ms. Phuong said.
According to Ms. Phuong, if only the dyke level is raised to prevent floods, there will be a paradox: The fields drain water slowly, while the residential areas are at risk of more severe flooding during the rainy season. Moreover, fields completely isolated from natural flow will lack alluvium, affecting long-term productivity.
"We are reviewing and re-evaluating the entire low-lying dyke system. In the immediate future, it is necessary to invest in upgrading weak points and adding large-capacity pumps to drain water in time, said Ms. Phuong.
