Repair of irrigation systems underway in Savannakhet

The renovation of damaged irrigation systems in Savannakhet is nearing completion, with the aim of providing sufficient water to irrigate 498 hectares of rice in the dry season, as well as 91 hectares of other crops grown in Kaysone Phomvihane city.
Head of the city’s Agriculture and Forestry Office, Mr Ounkham Phewphachanh, recently reviewed irrigation schemes in the villages of Phakkha and Napho, which are located 12km south of the city centre on Road 11E, when he met with the Deputy Mayor of Kaysone Phomvihane city, Mr Sommai Songvilay.

Mr Sommai was present to observe the repair of irrigation systems so that they are able to deliver water to rice fields during the dry season.
Mr Ounkham noted that the irrigation systems were built in 1990 with government funding but had since been badly damaged during flooding and were no longer functioning.
In 2016, the East-West Mekong Economic Corridor Agricultural Infrastructure Development Project carried out a survey and compiled data needed to repair the irrigation systems so they could provide water for the cultivation of rice in both the dry and rainy seasons.
In 2020, repairs began with the Charoenxay Construction-Irrigation Company as the contractor, funded by a loan of more than US$2.1 million from the Asian Development Bank.
When the repairs are complete, water will be available to irrigate the crops grown by 313 families.
The rehabilitation of irrigation in Phakkha and Napho villages is now 93.35 percent complete and it is expected that water can be pumped to fields early this year.
Savannakhet province regularly suffers from flooding in the rainy season.
In 2020, about 51,000 hectares of farmland was damaged in 13 districts of Savannakhet after devasting heavy rain, according to the province’s Agriculture and Forestry Department.
The floods also caused damage to irrigation channels, which meant farmers had reduced crop yields, especially of rice, which is the province’s main to export to the European Union.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update January 6, 2022)