On September 10, a working group from the Ministry of Industry and Trade inspected the Thác Bà Hydropower Company (in Yen Bai province) and the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Company regarding the latter’s flood discharge.
No abnormalities found during the dam inspection
At the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy General Director of Thác Bà Hydropower Company, said that in response to Official Dispatch No. 6610 dated September 9, regarding the opening of the third floodgate, the company had proceeded with the flood discharge . The total discharge flow to the downstream area was 2,260 m3/s.
By 11:00 on September 9, the water level in Thác Bà reservoir reached a height of 58.11 m, with an inflow of about 2,583 m3/s. To ensure safe operation in compliance with regulations, the company further increased the discharge flow through the hydropower plant at 13:00 on the same day. The total discharge flow downstream was about 2,610 m3/s, corresponding to the opening of all spillway gates and two turbine water intake gates.
Mr. Cuong added, “Before performing the regulation, the company reported, informed, and sent documents to the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue, and People’s Committees of all levels of local government to proactively inform the people.”
Concluding the meeting, Mr. Trinh Van Thuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Technical Safety and Industrial Environment, Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that at 15:00, the delegation inspected the main dam and eight auxiliary dams. The visual inspection of the dam revealed no abnormalities. The main dam is currently discharging at a maximum rate through three gates, with a flow of 3,000 m3/s. Auxiliary Dam No. 4 has a height of 62.5 m, a length of about 50 m, and a width of 4.5 m; it is an earthen dam.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s working group inspects the flood discharge at Thác Bà Hydropower Plant in the afternoon of September 10.
Mr. Thuan requested that the Thác Bà Hydropower Company strictly follow the directions of the Prime Minister in the official dispatches to ensure the safety of hydropower structures, especially in the downstream area during flood discharge, as well as the urgent dispatches from the Minister of Industry and Trade.
“Strictly adhere to the approved procedures for operating multiple and single reservoir hydropower plants, especially in abnormal situations; operate scientifically, ensuring absolute safety for the project, and prevent artificial floods, thereby reducing floods in the downstream area. It is necessary to inform people in advance before operating the flood discharge,” said Mr. Thuan.
Also, according to the Deputy Director of the Department of Technical Safety and Industrial Environment, the Thác Bà Hydropower Company needs to mobilize maximum resources and equipment to inform and warn local authorities and people in the downstream area as soon as possible before proceeding with the flood discharge according to the procedure and the operation order of the competent authority, especially in an emergency discharge situation.
Thác Bà Hydropower Plant discharging water.
The company should also strengthen the inspection and assessment of the dam’s condition, discharge and intake equipment, the downstream flood warning system, and promptly rectify any defects (if any).
“The 24/7 shift must be maintained, and communication with the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention at all levels must be smooth. The company needs to implement plans to ensure the safety of the dam, the downstream reservoir area, and the projects under construction, especially key and critical projects. It is necessary to coordinate closely with local functional agencies in natural disaster response and ensure the safety of people in the downstream area, especially in emergency discharge situations,” the representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade requested.
Reservoirs have prepared response plans for emergency situations
Regarding the measures to protect hydropower reservoirs at the present time, Mr. Pham Nguyen Hung, Director of the Department of Technical Safety and Industrial Environment, said that for the Hoa Binh Hydropower Reservoir, before the rainy season, the National Council for Dam Safety Assessment (chaired by the Minister of Science and Technology) inspected and assessed dam and reservoir safety to ensure conditions for water storage and operation according to the multi-reservoir operation procedure and the single reservoir operation procedure.
Tuyen Quang Hydropower Plant discharging water.
According to Mr. Hung, every year, the units operating the dam and hydropower reservoirs and related agencies and units conduct drills on dam protection plans, natural disaster prevention plans, and response plans for emergency situations.
At this time, after this storm, the reservoirs in the northern region, such as Thác Bà, Tuyen Quang, and Hoa Binh Hydropower Reservoirs, need to focus and strictly comply with the multi-reservoir and single-reservoir operation procedures and, especially, the direct directions from the Prime Minister’s official dispatches, the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
In case of abnormal situations, there must be measures to handle or immediately report to the competent authority to promptly prevent and handle the situation, ensuring absolute safety for the project and the downstream area.
The leader of the Department of Technical Safety and Industrial Environment recommended that localities with hydropower reservoirs in the area affected by the storm and its aftermath need to coordinate closely with relevant ministries and sectors to unify the direction and management so that the management units comply with the regulations on dam and hydropower reservoir safety.
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