Almost 3 billion kip is required to distribute water to farmers as low river levels continue to hamper agriculture.
Fifteen irrigation systems along the Mekong River in Borikhamxay province and Vientiane have already received more than 2 billion kip to keep them running.
But that cost has now risen to 2.9 billion kip after Luang Namtha and Khammuan provinces also reported irrigation difficulties as a result of low Mekong levels.
Head of the Irrigation Department's administration section, Dr Somphone Thanasack, said Luang Namtha and Khammuan have just been reported as being affected by the water shortage and need funding to continue agricultural production.
The Ministry of Agriculture has already submitted a proposal to the central government for funding for Borikhamxay province and Vientiane, and will now make further requests for Luang Namtha and Khammuan provinces.
The funds will be used to repay private companies who invested in advance to enlarge the capacity of irrigation systems, according to Dr Somphone.
T his investment included excavating channels to allow water inflow into pumping stations, relocating water pumps to areas of deeper water and increasing the length of some of the systems to enable them to access more water.
He said the ministry will continue to collect information on irrigation systems from other provinces due to the remarkably low level of several rivers, and did not rule out the possibility of further funding requirements.
Dr Somphone said it was not only systems on the Mekong that are being affected, but also along other rivers such as in Luang Namtha province, noting the situation was the result of low rainfall in the region.
There was some positive news though, with Mekong levels slowly beginning to rise.
Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh instructed ministries and government agencies in February to actively address the impact of low water levels in the Mekong and its tributaries.
He asked local administrations to make sure every effort was made to provide sufficient water for household consumption and agricultural activities.
The prime minister and his delegation recently visited several irrigation systems along the Mekong in Vientiane to inspect the situation first hand.
Government spokesman Professor Dr Boviengkham Vongdara told Vientiane Times the government has instructed the affected provinces to formulate plans to cope with the situation, and submit them to the central government for funding.
“The issue is a natural disaster emergency, so spending for the solution package must be drawn from the government's reserve fund,” Dr Boviengkham said.
