VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has decided to grant VND234.5 billion (about $11 million) to 14 localities to resolve problems caused by drought and sea water encroachment.

A heat wave killed hundreds of hectares of rice in Phu My district of the central province of Binh Dinh.

The 14 provinces benefiting from the grant are: Lai Chau (VND9.9 billion) in the north; Quang Binh (VND18.3 billion), Quang Tri (VND12.7 billion), Thua Thien Hue (VND17.2 billion), Quang Nam (VND13.1 billion), Quang Ngai (VND23.4 billion), Binh Dinh (VND19.1 billion), Ninh Thuan (VND19.8 billion), Binh Thuan (VND14.5 billion) in the central region; and Long An (VND21.2 billion), Tra Vinh (VND14.1 billion), Can Tho (VND14.4 billion), An Giang (VND15.1 billion), and Dong Thap (VND21.7 billion) in the south.

This year, prolonged heat waves in many provinces led to withered crops and a serious shortage of water for daily life.

Binh Dinh Province suffered from unprecedented drought. Many districts and Quy Nhon City had to use military vehicles to transport fresh water for relief. The local authorities had to use a contingency budget to protect local residents from drought for three months.

Thu Ly