After 16 years, the VND4,400 billion irrigation project in Dak Lak is still unfinished

A project worth thousands of billions of VND, 16 years but still not completed

The Krong rich Thuong reservoir project, started in 2009 with a total initial investment of nearly VND2,900 billion, is divided into two phases. Phase 1 includes the following items: Ea Pat Lake Cluster, Krong Pac Thuong Lake, 52km of main canal and 9 level 1 canals.

Ea Rap Lake, with a capacity of nearly 20 million cubic meters, has been put into use, providing irrigation water for about 2,150 hectares. Meanwhile, Krong Pach Thuong Lake has a capacity of 123 million cubic meters, expected to serve irrigation for 12,000 hectares, mainly in Ea Kar district. The project affects nearly 800 households subject to compensation, support and resettlement.

Due to problems in site clearance, at the end of 2018, the project's investment was adjusted to VND4,421 billion. By 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) will continue to allocate an additional VND1,120 billion to implement phase 2, extending from 2023 to 2026.

During this period, the Management Board of Investment and Construction of Irrigation 8 is the investor of the Northern main canal project with a total investment of 220 billion VND. As of March 20, 2025, Mr. Le Khac Tuyen - Deputy Head of the Management Board of Investment and Construction of Irrigation 8 - said that he has disbursed 40 billion VND and deployed nearly 13km of canals. However, there are still 3.8km that have not been handed over.

According to Mr. Tuyen, contractors are speeding up the construction progress during the dry season, focusing on human resources and equipment along the entire route. If the site clearance work is favorable, the project can be completed in 2025. Recorded at the construction site, contractors are working overtime continuously, while the investor constantly checks and urges to ensure the progress and quality of the project.

People lack land for cultivation

At the Krong rich Thuong reservoir project, the cost of compensation and site clearance is up to 1,200 billion VND, while the cost of building a resettlement and settlement area is 511 billion VND. The entire component is invested by the Dak Lak Province Traffic and Rural Development Investment Project Management Board.

Resettlement area No. 1 (Cu Elang commune, Ea Kar district) has a total investment of nearly 200 billion VND, allocated to 240 households with more than 1,200 people. Currently, this area is filled, and people are gradually stabilizing their lives.

Resettlement area No. 2 (Cu Bong commune, Ea Kar district) has a total investment of nearly 300 billion VND, for 464 households. This is an important item of the project but has not been completed yet. In fact, in resettlement area No. 2, cultivated land has not been arranged yet. Surrounded mainly by deserted land, machinery has stopped construction.

According to the Dak Lak Provincial Project Management Board, in resettlement area No. 2, there are still two unfinished items, including a landfill serving residents that has not been implemented. Rice fields: total investment of 17 billion VND, but so far the contractor has only completed 117/249ha (reaching 46.98% of the plan).

Mr. Nguyen Hong Khoi, Chairman of the People's Committee of Cu Bong commune, expressed his concern: "The investor has not yet handed over enough cultivated land to the people.There are currently 306 households living here, but the majority have no land for cultivation.Many people have to go to the forest to pick bamboo shoots to sell for a living, others work for hire or grow acacia to make a living".
The delay in handing over production land not only affects people's lives but also reduces the effectiveness of resettlement projects, causing the lives of hundreds of households to fall into difficult and unstable situations.