Ha Tinh province: Hundreds of reservoirs and dams dry in drought

 According to the Ha Tinh provincial Water Resources Department, the first 5 months of this year saw lower rainfall than previous years, at 255-549 millimetres. At present, 107 of 345 reservoirs are dry, 24 of 84 pumping stations have been suspended, and 1,498 of 41,760 hectares of rice do not have water for cultivation.

 Huong Son district has over 60 dry reservoirs, including many large ones. In the picture is Lien Hoan dam. On average, the dam has a water level of 5.6 metres; however, at present, the level remains only at several tens of centimetres.

 Many parts of Ngan Pho river going through Huong Son district are almost completely dry.

 As there is no water for production, some residents have to come to the riverside to exploit the sand. “Over the past 5 years, no year has seen such dry river as this June,” said Nguyen Van Tien, 45 years old, a resident in Son Thuy commune.

 The drains for water flows are dry.

 Fields are dry in Huong Son district. Some 812 hectares of agricultural land cannot be cultivated as there is no water. “If there is no rain in the near future, it will threaten the lives of animals,” said Truong Ke Bao, Chairman of the Son Thuy communal People’s Committee.

 In Hong Linh town, Thien Thuong safe water supply reservoir also suffers from the drought. As there is low water level in the reservoir, the provision of water to local residents is modest.

 Being one of the reservoirs that provides the largest amount of water in Ha Tinh province, hot weather and long-term drought make Ke Go reservoir in Cam Xuyen district face a shortage of water.