Farmers use pumps to irrigate dry rice fields in Takeo province’s Bati district. Water resources ministry
The number of water pumps used by farmers in Takeo province’s Bati district has dropped from more than 2,000 units to around just 50. The steep reduction is thanks to the efforts of the authorities who began supplying water to preserve over 4,000 hectares of dry-season rice since January, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology.
The emergency intervention has already saved approximately 95 per cent of the drought-affected fields.
The authorities took action after a group of farmers in Bati district blocked National Road 2 on January 21 and demanded a solution to the water shortage crisis be found.
On the same day, leaders from the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), the water resources ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries met with the farmers and instructed that water be pumped from the Bati River and Prek Tnaot to rescue the crops.
On February 5, water resources minister Thor Chetha personally inspected the ongoing water pumping efforts in Bati and Samrong districts.
Water is being pumped along the main Hanuman canal, from pumping stations Hun Sen 22 and 23 in Bati River (Bati district), to the end of the canal in Samrong district, a total distance of over 30 kilometres.
“Emergency intervention has successfully saved approximately 95 per cent of the more than 4,000 hectares of dry-season rice fields. Meanwhile, water pumping by local farmers in Bati district has significantly decreased, as the number of active pumps has dropped from over 2,000 to just around 50,” said the minister.
He noted that water has now reached the end of the canal in Samrong district, aiding in the rescue of approximately 320 hectares of dry-season rice. However, the water level in the canal remains low, so the authorities have advised farmers to wait an additional two to three days before pumping water into their fields to allow the canal to fill up properly.
Cheta instructed officials from the provincial Department of Hydrology and Agriculture to study the conditions at the far end of the main Hanuman canal and construct a water gate for storing and regulating water usage in Bati district, as well as supplying water to Samrong and Prey Kabbas districts.
The department, along with their counterparts in the water resources department, has been directed to educate the public on water conservation. Local authorities were also instructed to discourage farmers from growing a second round of dry-season rice, to ensure an adequate water supply for daily living needs.
During a previous meeting with farmers in January, senior Minister Kun Kim, first vice-president of the NCDM, also advised farmers not to pump water into their fields immediately. Instead, they should wait at least seven days to allow the canal to accumulate sufficient water. Furthermore, the pumping should be done collectively to avoid conflicts over water distribution.
He also urged local authorities to safeguard government-provided water pumps from theft and to deepen the canals for increased water storage capacity.
According to the NCDM, out of 90,000 hectares of drought-affected rice fields in 14 provinces, over 60,000 hectares have been saved.
