Irrigation systems in Borikhamxay and Khammuan provinces are suffering from unseasonably low levels of water in the Mekong River .
Many operators of irrigation systems have resorted to machines to excavate deeper channels to obtain water for dry season rice fields.
Six projects in Borikhamxay province, primarily in Thaphabath and Pakxan districts, are now doing excavations in an effort to maintain water flows, said provincial irrigation section technical staff member Mr Khamphou Phandanouvong.
Some systems have required excavation of more than 300 metres of channels, the most in more than 10 years, he said.
The six systems provide water to more than 1,200 hectares of rice, said Mr Khamphou.
“First we will solve the problem and ensure there is enough water to keep the crops alive and then we will ask for funding assistance from the government,” he said.
“We have informed the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and in particular the Irrigation Department, about the problem we face.”
If the river level continues to fall over the next month there is a high possibility that many hectares of rice crops will be lost, Mr Khamphou said.Authorities in Borikhamxay province asked local farmers to plant 4,700 hectares of dry season rice this year, but only 4,300 hectares were planted.
However, in Khammuan province only one irrigation system has been affected by the low river level and provincial authorities are addressing the problem.
Agricultural officials in the province are working with the relevant sectors to ensure more systems are not affected, said Khammuan provincial irrigation section Head, Mr Chomphet Charnpheng.
While irrigation systems in Savannakhet and Champassak provinces have not yet been affected, some projects have added more pipes to the network to access the lower than usual water level.
Most irrigation systems in Savannakhet province obtain water from the Nam Xe River and tributary streams, and provincial authorities have not yet heard of any affected projects.
The Department of Irrigation is sending technical staff to Vientiane and Borikhamxay province to collaborate with provincial authorities to seek ways to solve the problem.
