Ensuring dam safety

Operating the spillway of Yen My Reservoir.

Song Chu One-Member Limited Liability Company currently manages 3 reservoirs (Song Muc Reservoir, Yen My Reservoir, Dong Chua Reservoir); 4 pumping stations (Xom Moi, Do Bon 1, Quan Boi 1, Quan Boi 2); 2 drainage sluices (Ngoc Giap, Quang Chau) and Ben Ngu lock. From the beginning of the year, the company proactively developed emergency response plans for reservoirs, submitted them to competent authorities for approval, and implemented them. Simultaneously, it repaired, maintained, and tested the spillway gates, drainage pumping stations, and drainage sluices of the reservoirs. In addition, it organized the review and replacement of damaged or substandard materials according to the "four on-site" principle to promptly address and respond to any incidents. Resources were mobilized to carry out dredging of sediment at the upstream inlet of the Song Muc reservoir's spillway to ensure the safety of the structure.

According to the company representative, to ensure the safety of the dam and reservoir during the rainy season, the company regularly monitors weather developments. When heavy rain is forecast, they mobilize staff from various units to be on duty 24/7. At the same time, they coordinate with the power company to be ready to restore power, proactively drain water, release floodwaters, and implement other measures to handle any incidents that may occur.

The province currently has 610 reservoirs, including 1 managed by the Investment and Construction Management Board of Irrigation Works 3 ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ); 86 managed by irrigation works exploitation companies; and 523 managed by communes and wards. To ensure dam safety during the rainy season, the units have invested in installing monitoring equipment for 27 reservoirs; installed specialized meteorological and hydrological monitoring equipment for 102 reservoirs; carried out maintenance, repair, upgrading, and modernization of 386 reservoirs; installed operational monitoring systems, information equipment, and safety warning systems for dams and downstream areas of 4 reservoirs (including Cua Dat, Song Muc, Yen My, and Dong Chua); marked the boundaries of dam and reservoir protection areas for 35 reservoirs; developed and implemented protection plans for 152 reservoirs; and developed and implemented disaster response and emergency plans for 610 reservoirs. A database system for dams and reservoirs has been built for 216 reservoirs... However, 57 out of 610 reservoirs in the province are still severely damaged, posing a potential safety risk. The Irrigation Sub-Department is actively coordinating with localities and management units to reinforce and repair the damage, minimizing the risk of safety incidents. At the same time, manpower is being mobilized, materials, machinery, and equipment are being gathered according to the "four on-site" principle and the approved emergency response plan to be ready to respond in case of any incidents at the reservoirs.

According to Nguyen Van Chinh, Head of the Thanh Hoa Irrigation Department, to avoid impacting the implementation and ensuring the safety of dams and reservoirs during the 2025 rainy and flood season when the district-level government ceases operations, the department has guided localities to transfer state management tasks to commune-level administrative units according to the two-tiered local government model. In addition, it has directed the units managing and operating irrigation works to continue strictly implementing legal regulations on dam and reservoir safety management. They are also assessing the safety of structures, flood control capabilities, and flood discharge capacity of reservoirs with regulating gates to develop solutions to ensure the safety of the structures and downstream areas during the rainy and flood season.

For the 57 reservoirs assessed as unsafe during the 2025 rainy and flood season, management units are updating emergency response plans and disaster response plans to closely reflect the actual situation. In cases where serious damage is detected, posing a high risk to safety that, if not addressed, would immediately affect the safety of people's lives and property, the units are mobilizing all resources to carry out repairs, reinforcement, and remediation to ensure the safety of the structures. If the situation exceeds the unit's capacity, a list of projects, the order of investment and repair priorities, and the required funding will be compiled and promptly reported to the Department of Agriculture and Environment for consolidation and submission to the Provincial People's Committee for consideration and action.

Text and photos: Hai Dang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/bao-dam-an-toan-ho-dap-255625.htm