In the last days of April 2024, under extremely hot weather conditions, Song Chu One Member Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Song Chu Company) launched a competition to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2024) and International Labor Day, May 1, proactively providing irrigation water for farmers to care for and prevent drought in the winter-spring crop.

Water regulation for winter-spring crop production in 2024 at Bai Thuong dam. Photo: TD

From the company to the irrigation branches, employees have been mobilized to overcome difficulties, take shifts at the construction site, irrigation systems, operate pumping stations, dredge suction tanks, pumping station channels, irrigation canals of the systems, collect trash, clear the flow, and provide enough water for crops.

Quy Xa dam operation, regulating water in the North canal of the Bai Thuong dam system. Photo: TD

Song Chu Company Limited has proactively repaired and maintained construction items, equipment, and machinery of the pumping station, ensuring safe operation of the Bai Thuong irrigation system's culvert. Coordinated with hydropower plants to discharge water into the Bai Thuong system to serve production water and push back salinity for the downstream of the Chu River.

Irrigation branches proactively coordinate with local authorities to develop and implement irrigation and drought prevention plans for the winter-spring crop. Specific measures such as strict water management, rotational irrigation, and water saving are implemented from the beginning of the crop. Along with investment in repairing and upgrading the canal system, damaged works, and pumping station equipment, the company has developed technical plans, coordinated with localities in the system to mobilize farmers to do internal irrigation, dredge canals, embankments, and plot banks to facilitate water flow from the main works to the fields.

The company has solidly built a number of canals and works on the canals such as: N11 Bai Thuong canal, C3/6 Bai Thuong canal, North Bai Thuong canal, Dong Yen pumping station canal, B28 canal, Tan Phong I drainage canal, B2/28 canal... Dredged irrigation canals of the Bai Thuong system; N7 canal of the Muc River system; south canal of the Yen My system; Ten Tan irrigation system canal; canals leading to pumping stations along the Chu River, Ma River, and Buoi River, with a total volume of nearly 31,000m3 ^of mud and soil dug and filled, ensuring a smooth water channel from the source to the field surface. Typical examples include canals and sumps of pumping stations: Thieu Duong, North Ho Run, South Ho Run, Dong Yen, Chau Van, Quang Vinh, Quang Hai, Quang Tho, Kieu Dai, Quang Hung, Te Thang, Da Ban, Co Dan, Trung Y, Dong Lon, Phu Quang, Yen Tho, Cam Tan I, Cam Son, Binh Son, Long Dong 1, Long Dong 2, Kim Hung, La Thach, Thai Binh, Thai Son, Dan Ai, Thieu Hoa. Upgrading and renovating some pumping stations such as Dong Tien (Trieu Son), Thai Ninh (Thieu Hoa) pumping stations,...

Installing field pumps, preparing oil pumps to pump water for irrigation in highland areas when drought occurs... 75 lakes and dams managed by the unit have been proactively checked for safety, storing enough water according to design. Currently, pumping stations in the Song Chu irrigation system have proactively pumped water to 18 districts, towns and Thanh Hoa City, Sam Son City to take care of crops.

Workers of Dong Son Irrigation Branch operate Chau Van pumping station, serving agricultural production. Photo: TD

The measure of regulating irrigation water alternately is applied from the beginning of the season and maintained throughout the season for the main canals, focusing on areas with difficulties in irrigation water. For the highland communes, the end of the canal in districts such as Quang Xuong, Nong Cong, Trieu Son, Dong Son, ... the company has directed the irrigation branches to proactively install additional field pumping stations, oil pumps, and timely water pumps. Assigning forces to take shifts 24/7 to closely follow the works and areas to clear the flow and bring water to the highlands.

Workers of Quang Xuong Irrigation Branch operate and regulate water for agricultural production at Ngoc Giap drainage sluice. Photo: TD

Director of Quang Xuong Irrigation Branch Cao The Son shared: Thanks to proactively implementing synchronous solutions, the entire crop area for the 2024 winter-spring crop irrigated by the branch, especially the highland communes at the end of the canal, has had enough water for rice to grow.

In order to achieve the goal of preventing drought and lack of irrigation water in the fields, Song Chu Company Limited has prioritized regulating water resources for the end of Quang Xuong canal. Quang Xuong Irrigation Branch has maintained, repaired, dredged irrigation canals, sluices, dams, and maintained pumping stations to improve production capacity.

Quang Xuong Irrigation Branch has dredged a number of canals of pumping stations, dredged the canal system, and removed trash to clear the flow to store water against drought with a total volume of nearly 10,000m3 ^of mud and soil dug and filled. Launching a competition to celebrate the anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day, the branch mobilized 100% of cadres, engineers, and workers to the base to coordinate with local authorities to focus on the peak period of alternating water supply to the fields of some communes at the end of the canal, highland areas with difficult irrigation... Workers were arranged to take shifts at Mai Chu port (Quang Yen commune, Quang Xuong) to regulate fresh water from the Hoang River to the Ly River (due to the low water source of the Ly River) to create a water source for pumping stations along the Ly River to operate. 57 irrigation pumping stations and combined irrigation and drainage pumping stations have been operating and pumping water from the Quang Chau River, Hoang River, and Ly River to serve production. Ngoc Giap, Quang Chau, and Truong Le sluices have been operated and regulated by Quang Xuong Irrigation Branch to store fresh water for irrigation and drought prevention for crops.

Engineers and workers of Thach Thanh Irrigation Branch operate Long Dong pumping station (Thach Long commune) to provide water for irrigation of crops. Photo: TD

At Song Chu One Member Co., Ltd. - Thach Thanh Irrigation Branch - the unit manages and operates 12 reservoirs, 1 dam and 23 irrigation pumping stations in Thach Thanh district. To proactively provide enough irrigation water for nearly 5,700 hectares of crops, including nearly 3,000 hectares of rice in the area during the hot season, Thach Thanh Irrigation Branch has mobilized all the unit's human resources and reserve materials to complete the repair of damaged canals; inspect, maintain and repair machinery and equipment of pumping stations. Some projects such as the main canal of Dong Phu lake; the northern canal of Xuan Lung lake; the main canal, N1 canal of Tay Trac lake; dredging of channels, suction tanks of irrigation pumping stations... have effectively served production.

Thach Thanh Irrigation Branch has proactively dredged canals; the suction tanks were silted with a total volume of more than ^5,000m3 of soil and mud; deepened and widened the entrances to the pumping station's suction tanks to increase the amount of water in the tanks; blocked the drainage canals to take advantage of the returning water source; extended the suction pipes of some pumping stations to actively pump enough water for irrigation and drought prevention for crops. Currently, the entire crop area served by the branch for irrigation has basically had enough water for good growth and development, of which about 70% of the rice area has flowered.

By the end of April 2024, farmers in the irrigation systems served by Song Chu One Member Co., Ltd. had provided enough water to care for more than 50,000 hectares of rice in the flowering period, growing and developing well.

Recognizing the responsibility of the staff and workers of the irrigation branches who have made efforts to overcome difficulties, manage and operate the works safely and effectively, serving agricultural production before and during the April 30 and May 1 holidays in 2024, the Board of Directors of Song Chu One Member Co., Ltd. continues to pay attention to the lives of staff and workers; organize appropriate working plans to ensure the health of staff and workers working directly at the works in hot weather conditions.

The company's leaders and trade unions presented gifts drawn from the trade union fund and agency budget to encourage and motivate the working spirit of officers and employees of the affiliated irrigation branches, contributing to the goal of ensuring enough irrigation water for the winter-spring crop to grow and develop well, contributing to improving the efficiency of agricultural production.

Thuy Duong