Ensuring safety of irrigation works, preventing flooding due to storm No. 12

On October 20, the Department of Irrigation Works Management and Construction, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued telegram No. 21/CD-TL-ATD on ensuring the safety of irrigation works, preventing flooding and inundation due to heavy rains affected by the circulation of storm No. 12 and cold air combined with East wind disturbances in provinces and cities from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai.

Ke Go Lake (irrigation project) in Cam Due commune, Ha Tinh province. Photo: Vu Sinh/VNA

Accordingly, the Director of the Department of Management and Construction of Irrigation and Power Works: Directors of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of provinces and cities from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai; investors of new construction projects, repair and upgrade of irrigation works in provinces and cities from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai; Directors of units managing and exploiting irrigation works in provinces and cities from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai.

To proactively prevent and ensure the safety of irrigation works and prevent flooding, waterlogging, and minimize damage caused by heavy rain, the Department of Irrigation Works Management and Construction requests agencies and units to seriously implement Official Dispatch No. 18/CD-BCĐ-BNNMT dated October 19, 2025 of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee on proactively responding to storm No. 12.

Units should strengthen close monitoring of hydrometeorological forecasts and rain and flood developments; check and review key irrigation works and risk of incidents to proactively deploy response plans to ensure construction safety; pay special attention to the safety of irrigation reservoirs under construction (pay attention to deep works, underground works, diversion works; be ready to relocate people, machinery, construction equipment at risk of being affected...). For important irrigation reservoirs that do not ensure safety, it is necessary to consider limiting or not storing water.

At the same time, proactively organize the operation of irrigation reservoirs according to approved operating procedures; reservoirs with regulating gates, flexibly adjust the reservoir water level to proactively receive floods, ensure absolute safety of the works and not discharge unusual floods that cause insecurity for downstream areas; strictly implement early warnings to people in downstream areas before reservoirs discharge floods and when there is a risk of incidents.

Units identify a specific list of key projects that are at risk of incidents when there is heavy rain, pay attention to small lakes managed by communes; update plans to respond to heavy rain, ensure safety of projects in accordance with flood forecasts and project status. Identify specific areas of crops at risk of flooding when heavy rain occurs; develop response plans for each area, ensuring minimal damage caused by floods. When heavy rain occurs, there is a risk of flooding, it is necessary to promptly operate irrigation projects to drain water, minimizing damage caused by flooding.

For reservoirs with regulating gates, it is necessary to strictly implement specialized hydrometeorological monitoring regimes, calculate water flow to the reservoir, and estimate the possibility of increasing the reservoir water level to proactively operate the reservoir to prevent floods safely and store water for production. After the end of the rainy season, it is necessary to re-evaluate the implementation of the operating procedures and the gate operation procedures; report to the competent authority for approval of adjustments (if any).

Units organize 24/7 duty during times of rain and flood; arrange permanent personnel at construction sites at risk of incidents; promptly handle unusual situations according to the "four on-site" motto when there is a construction incident.

The Department of Irrigation Works Management and Construction requests units to regularly report on the safety of irrigation works, construction incidents (if any) and the operation of irrigation works to prevent and combat floods and waterlogging to the standing unit for ensuring the safety of irrigation works and preventing and combating floods and waterlogging of the Department.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, from the night of October 22 to 26, the area from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai is likely to have widespread heavy rain. The total rainfall in Ha Tinh to Northern Quang Tri and Quang Ngai is about 200 - 400 mm, locally over 500 mm; the area from Southern Quang Tri to Da Nang City is commonly 500 - 700 mm, locally over 900 mm.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/bao-dam-an-toan-cong-trinh-thuy-loi-de-phong-ngap-lut-do-bao-so-12-20251020205241600.htm