Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien has just issued an urgent dispatch No. 6908/CD-BCT dated September 10, 2024, to the Departments of Industry and Trade of the northern provinces and cities; and the Corporations of Vietnam Electricity, Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries, Vietnam Oil and Gas, Vietnam Chemicals, and Vietnam Petroleum, as well as the corporations, enterprises under the Ministry of Industry and Trade regarding the response and recovery from the floods, landslides, flash floods, and landslides in the mountainous and midland provinces of the North.
Storm No. 3 has caused heavy rainfall in the North, especially in the mountainous and midland provinces of the North with rainfall ranging from 200-350mm (many places 400-500mm, some places nearly 600mm). The floods on the Thao and Luc Nam Rivers have exceeded the alarm level 3, causing localized flooding and landslides in many places, especially in Cao Bang, Hoa Binh, and Lao Cai.
According to the forecast of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, in the coming days, the mountainous and midland areas of the North will continue to experience heavy rainfall with a volume of 100-200mm, and some places over 350mm. There is a very high risk of large floods, landslides, flash floods, and localized flooding in low-lying areas.
Implementing the Government’s dispatch No. 89/CD-TTg dated September 9, 2024, on focusing on overcoming the incident of the collapse of Phong Chau bridge in Phu Tho province and responding to and overcoming the consequences of floods, landslides, flash floods, and landslides in the mountainous and midland provinces of the North, the Minister of Industry and Trade requests the units in the industry and trade sector to seriously implement with the highest responsibility. the tasks assigned in the dispatches of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Industry and Trade on responding to Storm No. 3.
Specifically, the Minister requests the Departments of Industry and Trade of the provinces and cities to strengthen the inspection and examination of the work of ensuring safety and disaster prevention at projects and works of the industry and trade sector, especially the projects under construction in areas prone to flash floods, landslides, landslides, and low-lying areas to timely direct the units to overcome the limitations and defects to ensure safety for people and works.
Direct the units in the industry and trade sector to strengthen the supervision of safety, have a plan to respond to ensure the safety of people, works, machinery, and equipment, and be ready to mobilize resources, means, and materials to proactively deploy response measures in case of emergencies caused by natural disasters; Do not allow the construction of camps and temporary houses in areas prone to flash floods, landslides, landslides, and low-lying areas; Strictly handle violating units.
Direct the hydropower dam owners in the area to strictly implement the operating procedures of the reservoir system and the operating procedures of the reservoirs that have been approved by the competent authorities.
Preside and coordinate with the branches and sectors at the locality to urgently organize the inspection of the operation of flood discharge of hydropower plants, especially the hydropower plants with flood control capacity and the hydropower works with the flooded downstream area; inspect and ensure the safety of hydropower dams and reservoirs, especially the weak dams and reservoirs, small hydropower plants or those under construction and repair, and promptly detect the points with risks of landslides to set up warning signs, coordinate closely with the local competent agencies to timely inform and ensure the safety of the people, especially in case of emergency flood discharge.
The Minister requested the Vietnam Electricity Corporation to direct the Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau, Huoi Quang, Ban Chat, Tuyen Quang, and Thac Ba hydropower plants and the hydropower plants under the management of the Northern and Central regions to strictly comply with the operating procedures of the reservoir system and the operating procedures of the reservoirs that have been approved by the competent authorities and the direction of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the competent authorities.
Be proactive and ready with plans when abnormal situations occur during the operation of the works, ensuring absolute safety for hydropower plants and minimizing damage to the lowest level for people and property of the people in the downstream area caused by floods; strengthen information warning and early notification to local authorities at all levels and people in the upstream and downstream areas before operating flood discharge according to the process.
Organize inspection teams and request hydropower units under its management to self-inspect the response, overcome damage, and incidents caused by the aftermath of Storm No. 3 and the complicated development of floods.
Closely monitor the evolution of natural disasters; prepare sufficient human resources, materials, and means following the motto “4 on-the-spot” to respond to abnormal incidents that may occur.
Coordinate with the Departments of Industry and Trade of the localities to direct and inspect the implementation of measures to ensure the safety of dams and reservoirs, especially the weak dams and reservoirs, small hydropower plants or those under construction and repair; operation of hydropower reservoirs to ensure the safety of works and downstream areas suitable to the evolution of rain and floods, especially large reservoirs in the hydropower cascade system on the Da River.
The Minister requested the Corporations, General Corporations, and enterprises under the Ministry to strengthen the inspection of the units and direct the units to self-inspect the work of ensuring safety and disaster prevention for the construction works under their management, especially the projects under construction in areas prone to flash floods, landslides, landslides, and low-lying areas to timely direct the units to overcome the limitations and defects to ensure safety for people and works.
Direct the units under its management to mobilize the maximum resources, means, and materials to be ready to respond to natural disasters; closely monitor weather forecasts, rain, floods, and landslides to proactively deploy safety assurance measures.
For the owners of hydropower works, the Minister requested strict compliance with the operating procedures of the reservoir system and single reservoir that have been approved by the competent authorities, especially in abnormal situations. At the same time, mobilize the maximum resources and equipment to inform and notify the local authorities and people in the downstream area as soon as possible before proceeding with flood discharge according to the process and according to the operating schedule of the competent authority, especially in case of emergency flood discharge.
The Minister assigned the Department of Technical Safety and Industrial Environment to closely monitor the evolution of Storm No. 3 to direct and urge the units to implement response measures.
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