Bảo Định saltwater-prevention sluice in Tiền Giang Province’s Mỹ Tho City. – VNA/VNS Photo Minh Trí

TIỀN GIANG – The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tiền Giang, the country's largest fruit producer, has spent more than VNĐ134 billion (US$5.8 million) to upgrade or build irrigation projects this year, securing irrigation water for nearly 172,000ha of farming areas.

The money was used to build irrigation works, and sluices and embankments that prevent saltwater intrusion and floods, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In the Gò Công freshwater-dominated region, the Tiền Giang Irrigation Work Exploitation and Management One Member Limited Company operates  sluices to take and store fresh water for fields.

The company has encouraged farmers to strictly implement measures to control saltwater intrusion and drought.

Rice farmers have been told to sow rice seeds on the same schedule or switch to growing other drought – resistant crops in areas without sufficient  irrigation water.

The province has dredged and expanded major irrigation canals to store fresh water in its coastal eastern region. This region has built 72 irrigation works to serve 38,000ha of rice, fruits and vegetables.

The province’s island communes have drilled 14 borewells to take water to irrigate speciality fruit trees such as durian, rambutan and jackfruit. The island communes have built 22 construction works for preventing and controlling drought, saltwater intrusion and other natural disasters.

The province has also opened 49 free clean-water supply sites to provide daily use water to 3,120 households in remote and coastal areas this year.

The Tiền Giang Water Supply Company Limited has opened 13 standby wells and drilled additional three deep borewells to supply clean water for households in its coastal eastern region. – VNS