Ministry of Industry and Trade directs to strengthen safety assurance of dams and hydroelectric reservoirs

Accordingly, on May 16, in Lai Chau province, a landslide occurred at the construction site of the Ta Pao Ho 1A hydropower project, in Si Lo Lau commune, Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province. According to initial information, the landslide left 5 people missing and 4 injured.

The Prime Minister issued Official Dispatch No. 66/CD-TTg dated May 16 on focusing on overcoming the consequences of the landslide incident at the construction site of the Ta Pao Ho 1A hydropower project. In the face of increasingly complex extreme weather conditions, the provinces in the Northern mountainous region, the Central region and the Central Highlands are experiencing prolonged rains causing flash floods and landslides in many areas...

To ensure the safety of dams and hydroelectric reservoirs, especially hydroelectric projects under construction, the Minister of Industry and Trade requests units to seriously implement the following contents:

- Department of Industry and Trade of provinces and centrally-run cities: Urgently direct investors of hydropower projects in the areas under their management to strengthen measures to ensure safety for people and works during construction, immediately review and inspect areas at risk of landslides, flash floods, and flash floods to post warning signs and take measures to ensure safety, actively propagate to people to raise vigilance, stay away from areas where landslides, rockfalls, flash floods, and flash floods may occur.

Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant. Illustration photo

Require hydropower projects under construction to stop all construction activities, move people and equipment to safe locations in areas at high risk of natural disasters, ensuring absolute safety for people and property.

Strengthen inspection, supervision and guidance of units in preparing for natural disasters at hydropower projects in the area. Pay special attention to small reservoirs and projects under construction.

Directing the supervision of the safe operation of dams and hydroelectric reservoirs, advising the People's Committees of provinces and cities to absolutely not allow water storage in reservoirs that do not ensure safety; strengthening the installation of monitoring and supervision systems, providing data to functional units according to regulations, and warning information to ensure downstream safety when releasing floods.

Advise and propose to the People's Committees of provinces and cities to establish and manage flood escape corridors of reservoirs and implement measures to ensure dam safety according to the provisions of law.

Lai Chau Province Department of Industry and Trade mobilized maximum resources to coordinate with local authorities to carry out search and rescue work and overcome the consequences of landslides at Ta Pao Ho 1A Hydropower Project in the most urgent and timely manner.

- Project owners and owners of hydropower projects: Strictly implement the hydropower reservoir operation process and inter-reservoir operation process approved by competent authorities.

Urgently organize inspections and assessments of dam and hydropower reservoir safety before the 2025 storm season according to the provisions of law, focusing on assessing the current status of construction items such as dams, flood discharge works, water intake gates, dam shoulders... mechanical equipment, electrical equipment and specialized monitoring equipment; promptly fix any damage or defects (if any) to ensure safety before and during the flood season.

Review and supplement disaster response plans for projects, downstream dams and emergency response plans; organize drills according to approved plans, ensuring safety for downstream areas in all situations.

Prepare adequate means, materials, and necessities according to approved plans to be ready to respond to natural disasters.

Closely monitor meteorological and hydrological developments and coordinate with relevant agencies to operate reservoirs in accordance with procedures, ensuring safety for works and downstream areas; proactively apply warning methods and notify downstream people when operating power generation and flood discharge.

Provide complete and timely data and information related to reservoir operations to competent authorities in accordance with regulations.

- Vietnam Electricity Group: Strengthen the direction, inspection, urging and guidance of units under its management, especially projects under construction, to strengthen the work of ensuring safety for hydropower projects, and strictly implement the tasks assigned in this Official Dispatch.

Direct owners of hydroelectric reservoirs under their management to be prepared and concentrate all resources to promptly overcome any incidents that may occur; develop emergency response plans, natural disaster response plans, dam and reservoir protection plans, and organize drills for officers and employees in the unit according to the approved plan.

Closely coordinate with competent authorities in disaster response when required.

- Units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade:

Department of Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment : Take the lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to organize inspections of dam and hydropower reservoir safety before the 2025 storm season, strictly handle violations (if any). Strengthen supervision to ensure safety in the operation of hydropower reservoirs. Proactively grasp meteorological and hydrological information in the areas to promptly advise the Ministry's leaders to direct units to organize response work and overcome consequences caused by natural disasters. Well perform the focal point task of implementing natural disaster prevention and search and rescue work of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Electricity Department : Strengthen inspection of construction quality assurance of hydropower projects under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade; coordinate with the Department of Industrial Safety Techniques and Environment in inspecting and assessing the safety of dams and hydropower reservoirs before the 2025 storm season.

Media units under the Ministry: Diversify communication forms to promptly convey information on the developments of natural disasters as well as prevention, response and overcoming of consequences caused by natural disasters at hydropower projects.

The telegram requests units of the Industry and Trade sector to focus on directing and strictly implementing this telegram, prepare forces, means and equipment to promptly respond to the complicated developments of the flood situation in the coming time and participate in rescue when requested; regularly update and report information to the Standing Office of Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Phone: 024.22218310; Fax: 024.22218321; Email: [email protected]).

Thanh Binh

Source: https://congthuong.vn/bo-cong-thuong-chi-dao-tang-cuong-dam-bao-an-toan-dap-ho-chua-thuy-dien-388370.html