VietNamNet Bridge – Nearly 1,300 hectares of winter-spring rice in Lak District in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak have disappeared, because the local authorities have not repaired a 32m dike which was broken six months ago.

According to local residents, a 32m section of the Suoi Cut dike in Dak Lieng Commonue, Lak District, was broken in a flood last October. Because of the incident, water from the Krong Na River flooded the field of three communes in the region.

Most recently, owing to the Pakhar storm, the water level in the Krong Na River rose too high on March 31 to April 2, and through the broken dike, flooding nearly 1,300 hectares of rice. Thousands of families have lost their crop. The total losses are estimated at over VND53 billion ($2.5 million). Many families are facing hunger and poverty.

The authorities of Lak district say that they asked the Dak Lak province authorities to allocate around VND2 billion ($200,000) to fix the broken dike, but the provincial government did not answer.

They add that this is only the temporary measure. In the long run, the district needs capital to build a 1km dike along the Krong Na River to prevent floods.

Affected farmer families have been supply with rice and seed for the summer-autumn crop.

Phuong Lan