Cai Lon - Cai Be irrigation system construction site

On March 13th, 2021, the delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam Academy for Water Resources visited and worked at the Cai Lon - Cai Be irrigation site in Kien Giang province.

Joining the delegation, there were Dr. Hoang Van Thang, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman of Vietnam Large Dam Association; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Vu Viet, Director of Vietnam Institute of Irrigation Science; Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Hoa, Deputy Director of Vietnam Institute of Irrigation Science, Team leader of design for the Cái Lớn– Cái Bé and representatives of the Construction Management Department, Irrigation Project Management Board 10, experts, scientists.

Cai Lon – Cai Be, the irrigation system of the Mekong Delta with the main as follows:

In the short run,  pro-actively and timely support people to stabilize production and life according to production models (Salty, brackish, fresh water) suitable to the natural ecosystem (to overcome the precarious situation); Actively adapting to climate change, preventing and mitigating natural disaster risks (flood, saline intrusion).

In the long run: Control salinization, supply fresh water; Minimize environmental impact; Support traffic development, water transfer to some neighboring areas.

Currently, the project is in the urgent stage of completing the final construction stages, to ensure it will be operated by the end of June 2021.

According to Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Hoa, design manager of Cai Lon sluice project, up to now, this is the largest water source control project in Southeast Asia, the work is achieved from many the results of scientific and technological researches of many topics and projects at all levels carried out by scientists of the Vietnam Academy for Water Resources for many years what are a very proud achievement of the team of scientists of the Vietnam Academy for Water Resources.

One of the special impressions for the delegation was the valve gate system with 11 large gates, 40m wide, 9m high, weighing up to 230 tons per gate. The largest valve gate system was built in Vietnam which researched, designed and constructed by Vietnamese experts and scientists.  And it can be said that this is also the most difficult and complicated construction stage.

At the meeting, the senior researchers, managers and experts highly appreciated the construction quality and aesthetics of the project and hoped that the project would soon complete, and continue to implement other projects of phase 2 at the same time to synchronize the system, maximize the efficiency of the project, and meet the expectations of the government and people here.