Irrigation lake low
Since the beginning of the year, Quang Ngai has had continuous prolonged hot weather, affecting agricultural production. Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Truong Giang commune, said that the soil dries up quickly, crops are underdeveloped, and his family has to increase the number of irrigation times while the water source is increasingly dry.
Previously, watermelons only needed to be watered per cycle, now they must be checked regularly. If the sun is prolonged and watering is not done in time, the plant will wither. Costs increase but yield is not necessarily guaranteed" - Mr. Hung said.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Nham Xuan Sy - Deputy Director of Quang Ngai Provincial Hydrometeorological Station - said that currently, the capacity of irrigation reservoirs in the eastern area of the province only reaches an average of about 34% compared to the design. The risk of irrigation water shortage in the eastern area of the province will extend to the 2026 - 2027 Winter-Spring crop.
In the years of El Nino, we analyzed and found that the temperature that year would be higher than the multi-year average and the rainfall would be lower than the multi-year average. El Nino is forecast to be active in the period from October to December of this year, leading to the risk of a decrease in rainfall compared to previous years in the eastern province.
Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to this issue to store water in reservoirs to serve the 2026 - 2027 Winter-Spring crop production, as well as to be ready with remote and early drought prevention plans.
Upgrading reservoirs, proactive in long-term water sources
Prolonged hot weather has caused the water in Liet Son reservoir, in Duc Pho ward, to dry up. This is the 2nd largest irrigation lake in the eastern region of the province. Nui Ngang Lake, in Ba Dong commune, is the 3rd largest reservoir in the province, also only reaching 27% capacity.
According to Quang Ngai Irrigation Works Exploitation One Member Limited Liability Company, Liet Son reservoir currently has about 2.44 million cubic meters of water, equivalent to about 10% of the designed capacity. The project basically operates safely, capable of ensuring water supply for summer-autumn crop production if there are continued additional rains.
The management unit has approved the disaster response plan for the 2026 rainy and flood season; prepared forces, materials, and vehicles according to the "4 on-site" motto, organized regular inspections of construction items, monitored weather developments, and been ready to operate and regulate reservoirs and coordinate the evacuation of people from downstream areas when necessary.
Some items such as the downstream connecting part of the flood discharge spillway, the surveillance camera system and backup power source are continuing to be repaired and upgraded to ensure safe operation during the rainy and flood season. For the Nui Ngang reservoir, the current water level is about 3.98 million cubic meters. The project operates normally, ensuring safety and meeting water supply needs for production.
According to a representative of Quang Ngai Irrigation Works Exploitation Company, the project to upgrade and expand the Nui Ngang - Liet Son reservoir irrigation system has a total investment of nearly 709 billion VND, invested by the Investment and Construction Management Board of Irrigation No. 7, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; the expected completion time is in 2028.
The project is implemented in Nguyen Nghiem, Khanh Cuong, Ba Dong communes and Duc Pho ward. According to the investment plan, Nui Ngang lake will have its capacity increased from 19.75 million cubic meters to about 31.86 million cubic meters; raising the overflow threshold, culvert towers and rebuilding related items. The water supply system includes a main line nearly 15km long and a branch line about 2.6km long.
At Liet Son Lake, the project to build a pressure transfer tunnel for water with a length of about 1.2km, build the main canal behind the tunnel and dredge and repair 4.6km of existing N2 pumping canal. After completion, the project will supply irrigation water to about 3,643ha of arable land, an increase of 595ha; support irrigation for 80ha in the Hoc Cay and Hoc Nghi irrigation areas; create a source of about 30,000m3 of water/day and night for industry, supply domestic water for about 60,000 people and serve 200ha of aquaculture, contributing to proactive water sources, minimizing drought risks and adapting to climate change.
