The Southern Water Supply and Sewerage Association has sent a representative to coordinate with the Ben Tre Fatherland Front Committee to survey the situation, prepare plans to support the authorities and people in need of water.

On the morning of March 9, the Provincial People’s Committee and the Ben Tre Fatherland Front Committee launch the implementation of urgent measures to prevent and cope with severe saline intrusion in the province. The Southern Water Supply and Sewerage Association has sent a representative to coordinate with the Ben Tre Provincial Fatherland Front Committee to survey the situation, prepare a plan to support the authorities and people in need of water.

In the immediate future, Binh Duong Water and Environment Joint Stock Company (currently the President of the Southern Association) advances the procurement of 14 sets of 500-liter fresh water storage tanks, which are donated to the provincial Fatherland Front Committee to give to households who are having difficulty in drinking water and living. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, Tung Duong Law Firm, Ward 5, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City donated VND 60 million to buy plastic cans for 5,000 households in Ben Tre Province.

Mr. Le Van Gap - Head of Public Affairs Committee of Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee said the situation of saline intrusion in the province was complicated. Saline has penetrated deeply into fields, rivers and canals and spread to the whole province, causing a serious impact on people's life and economic development of Ben Tre province. The property is more intense and fiercer than the historic saline in 2016 and is likely to last about 3 months. If subjective, with no urgent solutions to cope with salinity, the difficulties and losses will be unpredictable.

Representatives of the authorities of Ben Tre province said Salinity of 2 ‰ to 4 ‰ has penetrated and spread throughout the province, more than 60 km from estuary; fields along the branch and inland rivers, including the temporary reservoirs, the water is saline. According to statistics, over 5,200 hectares of rice fields were damaged; about 20,000 ha of fruit trees, 72,000 ha of coconuts and more than 1,000 ha of seedlings and ornamental plants are at risk of being affected; The situation of aquaculture is facing with difficulties, with 722 ha of giant freshwater shrimp farming area affected, clam death with an amount of about 1,100 tons, it is estimated a loss of about VND 23 billion.

Currently, there are about tens of thousands of households living far away in the fields, shoals and coastal areas; on the islets and dunes on Ham Luong, Tien and Co Chien rivers; along the deep canals, it is shortage of domestic water, due to running out of reserved water source.

Abstracted from Urban & Environment News