For a proactive response to the risk of saltwater intrusion and partial freshwater shortages, the Prime Minister requested relevant ministries and localities in the Mekong Delta region to continue to closely monitor the situation and take measures to cope with the risks of drought, water shortage, and saltwater intrusion.
In recent days, prolonged heat battered provinces in the Southern region; worse, drought and saltwater intrusion ravaged some localities in the Mekong Delta, directly affecting production and people's lives, many households have lacked water for cultivation and daily activities, especially in the coastal areas of Ben Tre, Tien Giang, and Soc Trang provinces.
According to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting and the Southern Institute of Water Resources Research, a peak in saltwater intrusion is likely to hit the Mekong Delta region from March 10 to 15, affecting freshwater sources in many localities in the Mekong Delta, especially the provinces of Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh and Soc Trang.
The Prime Minister requested the chairmen of the people's committees of provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta, especially Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and Tra Vinh to proactively allocate local financial resources and mobilize people and equipment to immediately deploy necessary measures for the specific situation in each locality to ensure fresh water supply for local inhabitants’ production and daily life.
Moreover, local administrations should proactively implement solutions to cope with the real situation of water shortage and saltwater intrusion according to the direction and guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment was assigned to focus on close monitoring of water resource developments for precise forecasting and timely information on the water resource situation on the Mekong River and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta for competent authorities and agencies. That aims to help people implement appropriate measures to prevent and respond to the risk of water shortage and saltwater intrusion.
Last but not least, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has to monitor developments to forecast water sources, water quality, risks of water shortage, and saltwater intrusion to provide information to localities and people as well as guide localities on prevention of water shortage and saltwater intrusion to minimize the impact of natural disaster on production and locals’ lives.
The Prime Minister assigned Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang to directly monitor and direct the implementation of this telegram.
