A mango orchard in Đồng Tháp Province’s Lấp Vò District is inundated during the last high tide two weeks ago. — VNA/VNS Photo Nhật An

MEKONG DELTA — The Directorate of Water Resources has asked Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta localities to take preventative measures to mitigate the impact of high tides coming at the end of this month.

It sent a document to the departments of agriculture and rural development of the delta’s 12 provinces and the city of Cần Thơ to warn about the impact of the high tides to agricultural production and the lives of locals.

The high tides are estimated to last during October 26-31 and their levels are higher than the average of many years such as 2011, 2018, 2019 and 2020, which had high levels of high tides, said the directorate.

In Sóc Trăng Province, the ongoing high tides are expected to reach their peak at 2.25-2.35 metres high, equal to or higher than the levels of the high tides two weeks ago.

The ongoing high tides are estimated to reach their peaks at 2.1-2.5 metres high in Cần Thơ and 2.05-2.15 metres high in Vĩnh Long Province, lower than the levels of high tides two weeks ago.

The directorate has warned that the high tides can affect agricultural production in low-lying areas which have low and weak embankments and dykes along the Tiền and Hậu rivers and the coastal areas of Tiền Giang, Bến Tre, Trà Vinh, Vĩnh Long, Hậu Giang, Sóc Trăng, Bạc Liêu, Cà Mau and Kiên Giang provinces and Cần Thơ.

It has asked the departments to check dykes and embankments and consolidate weak ones to mitigate the impact of high tides on agricultural production, especially perennial trees.

The delta’s provinces and Cần Thơ should set up plans to cope with flooding when there are heavy rains during the high tides, it said.

The Vĩnh Long Province Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue has asked the province’s localities to strictly monitor the situation of rains and flooding and inform local people so they can take proactive preventative measures.

Localities should inspect and relocate households living in erosion-prone places to safe areas, and prepare human and material resources to cope with high tides and flooding, it said.

Phan Văn Dũng, deputy head of the office of the Hậu Giang Province Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue, said the province has set up preventative measures to cope with high tides in combination with heavy rains.

Local people in Hậu Giang have been instructed to build embankments to protect fruit orchards and fish ponds, and prepare pumps to pump flood waters out of fruit orchards.

The province’s local authorities have installed warning billboards at flood-prone roads to ensure the travel safety of locals.

Two weeks ago, the delta’s provinces and Cần Thơ faced high levels of high tides which severely affected the lives of locals and agricultural production.

In Cần Thơ, the last high tide deeply inundated many streets in the city’s central areas, affecting travel. The city let students stay at home for five days.

In Vĩnh Long Province, the last high tide flooded 500ha of rice, vegetable and fruit crops, more than 500 houses and 68 fish ponds, and broke 28 embankment sections and eight dams. — VNS