The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang plans to start work soon on 24 water supply projects in ethnic minority-inhabited areas, particularly where local communities are affected by the recent intrusion of salt water.

Locals in Vinh Chau town of Soc Trang province receiving water supply.

Total investment for the projects, at nearly 25 billion VND (approximately 1.1 million USD), will be sourced from capital allocations for Program 135 on poverty reduction in extremely poor areas.

Soc Trang has been allocated 62.3 billion VND to carry out tasks under Program 135 in 2016, including building infrastructure, developing production, maintaining existing facilities and enhancing capacity for local officials in target areas.

The province is among Mekong Delta localities seriously hit by drought and saltwater intrusion in the first half of this year.

It was reported that about 225,800 households in the Mekong Delta suffered from water shortages. More than 208,000 hectares of rice, over 9,400 hectares of fruit trees and about 2,000 hectares of shrimp farming areas were affected by the drought and saltwater intrusion.

Source: VNA