Activating the Whole Sector: Prioritizing Dam Safety and Essential Supplies for Typhoon Response

According to meteorological agencies in Vietnam and abroad, Storm No. 5 is an extremely intense storm with rapid movement and a wide range of influence. It poses a significant threat as it is expected to make landfall in Vietnam with strong intensity. With the entire country focusing on the grand celebration of the 80th National Day on September 2nd, the Ministry of Industry and Trade urges all units to remain vigilant and proactive in mobilizing all resources, equipment, and supplies to be ready for response, adhering to the principle of “four on-site” to ensure the safety of people and the national technical infrastructure.

The Minister of Industry and Trade directs the Departments of Industry and Trade of provinces and cities to continue to strictly implement the Prime Minister’s telegrams and the Ministry’s directions. Localities need to urgently review and instruct hydropower dam owners to implement measures to ensure dam safety, especially for small reservoirs and structures in areas prone to landslides and flash floods. At the same time, reservoirs are required to lower water levels to increase flood storage capacity and contribute to flood reduction for downstream areas, especially in the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue.

The Ministry requests that industrial and commercial production facilities in coastal areas and high-risk zones proactively develop and implement response plans to ensure the safety of workers, assets, and equipment. Localities need to temporarily halt construction work on industrial, hydropower, and mineral exploitation projects in dangerous areas, organize the evacuation of workers and machinery to safe places, and ensure smooth communication for rescue and relief work if necessary.

Additionally, essential goods suppliers are instructed to promptly formulate plans for stockpiling food, drinking water, and other necessities, especially in areas likely to be cut off due to floods. The Market Management Force is tasked with intensifying inspections, controls, and strict handling of acts of hoarding, gouging, and unreasonable price increases to take advantage of the disaster situation, particularly for essential goods such as roofing materials, construction materials, food, and drinking water.

For hydropower dam owners, the Ministry of Industry and Trade requires strict adherence to the approved reservoir operation procedures, preventing the occurrence of artificial floods, and early notification to residents when discharging water. Comprehensive inspections of structures, especially重点 areas, downstream regions, and previously damaged areas after floods, are mandatory. Dams and reservoirs should also be equipped with satellite communication equipment and maintain close coordination with local authorities to ensure timely and unified response.

The Ministry also directs the National Load Dispatch Center and the Vietnam Electricity (EVN) to comprehensively implement plans to ensure the stable, safe, and reliable operation of the power system. The entire electricity sector is required to maintain 24/7 duty, inspect dispatch systems, backup power sources, SCADA, and communication systems. Power sources in areas affected by the storm should be prioritized for reasonable mobilization, along with formulating distributed transmission plans to prevent the spread of accidents. Hydropower plants in the affected areas must coordinate electricity generation and water discharge to lower water levels and effectively regulate floods.

Mineral exploitation units are required to thoroughly inspect mines, waste dumps, mud reservoirs, embankment systems, review slopes and terrain prone to landslides, and implement measures such as clearing drainage systems, reinforcing materials, pumps, and backup power supplies to proactively respond to the situation. Construction projects in dangerous areas must also be halted. The Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Group is specifically mentioned in the telegram, with a requirement to conduct stringent inspections in Quang Ninh, one of the high-risk areas during heavy rains.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade also directs corporations and general companies in the industry to comprehensively inspect disaster prevention work at their units, especially ongoing construction projects in low-lying and landslide-prone mountainous areas. These units must mobilize maximum resources, equipment, and supplies and enhance the skills of their workforce while closely monitoring weather developments to respond promptly.

The Department of Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment is assigned to closely monitor the situation, update reservoir operation data from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien Hue, especially for large structures such as Trung Son, Hua Na, Ban Ve, and Huong Dien, and report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Provincial People’s Committees for coordinated direction.

Units in the industry are required to maintain a 24-hour duty regime, fully and seriously implement the directions of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and periodically submit daily reports before 3:00 PM on the situation and results of responding to Storm No. 5 to the Office of the Standing Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, at 1:00 PM on August 25, the storm’s eye was located at approximately 18.5 degrees North Latitude and 106.3 degrees East Longitude, on the coastal area of Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces. The strongest winds were at Level 13 (134-149 km/h), with gusts of up to Level 16. Forecast: In the next 3 hours, the storm will move northwestward at a speed of about 15 km/h.