VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam has approximately 7,000 hydropower and irrigation reservoirs. Tens of small and medium hydropower plants and hundreds of reservoirs have degraded seriously, compared as the “water bombs” hung over local residents.

Negligence and disaster

According to Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Deputy Minister of Construction, the latest inspection  showed that the hydropower plants with the capacity of over 50 MW and irrigation works with the dams’ height of over 50 meters are still safe.

However, troubles occur regularly with small scale works, including Dak Rong 3 in Quang Tri province, Dam Bol Da Teh in Lam Dong, Dak Mek 3 in Kon Tum, Ia Krel 2 in Gia Lai and Ea Sup 3 in Dak Lak.

According to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu, the investors of small and medium hydropower plants, which have the capacity of 30 MW and lower, are private enterprises. The inspections have found that 114 out of 166 dams have been due for regular examination of the flood flow, but this has been implemented with 45 dams only and 35 others are under the implementation.

Also according to Tu, the investors have got the protection solutions for 36 dams and submitted the solutions for the other 54.

Besides the worry about hydropower plants, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has warned that 317 irrigation works’ reservoirs, mostly the small ones with the capacity of 3 million cubic meters have partially damaged which may cause trouble at any times.

MARD’s Minister Cao Duc Phat admitted that the “major operation” of the reservoirs still has not been carried out because of the lack of money.

The problems of water reservoirs have discussed at a recent government’s meeting. Deputy Minister Hoang Trung Hai warned that local people now have together with the “water bombs” – the damaged reservoirs which would cause catastrophes just with minor mistakes.

Lacking money is the reason behind all the disasters

There are some 200 irrigation works’ reservoirs in Dak Nong province, half of which has been found as not meeting the technique safety standards.

Trinh Van Tuong, Deputy Director of Dak Nong Irrigation Work Development Company, said the provincial authorities have budgeted VND15 billion for the repairing of the most seriously damaged reservoirs in 2013.

Prior to that, in 2012, the local authorities approved the plan on improving the irrigation works for 2012-2017 worth VND500 billion.

The Dak B’lung reservoir with the capacity of nearly 500,000 cubic meters was partially damaged after a heavy rain in 2004, but the repair has not been done so far, while it has been degrading every year.

Tran Van Khanh, a local resident, said he has been uneasy about the reservoir over the last many years. The dam may get broken down at any times when it rains heavy and the water runs fast from the upstream.

In M’Drak district of Dak Lak province, 15 reservoirs, including the C19 dam with the capacity of 1 million cubic meters built prior to 1975, are in high danger, but they have not been repaired. The local residents have to “evacuate” when it rains heavily and only returns when the flood goes down.

NLD