The Ministry of Industry and Trade requires the electricity and hydropower sectors to focus on responding to heavy rain, flash floods, and landslides.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has just issued Official Dispatch 3848/CD-BCT on focusing on responding to the risks of heavy rain, landslides, flash floods and proactively preventing natural disasters.

Warning of very heavy rain, risk of landslides and flash floods across three regions

The dispatch stated: In May 2025, there were many heavy rains (especially the historic heavy rains in May in Ha Tinh province), causing landslides, flash floods, localized flooding in some localities, causing damage to people and property, greatly affecting production and people's lives. Currently, preparing for the rainy season, the risk of natural disasters, storms, floods, inundation, landslides, flash floods is at a high level.

According to the forecast of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, in the evening of May 28-30, 2025, there may be moderate rain, heavy rain, and in some places very heavy rain (locally over 250mm), with the risk of landslides, flash floods, and inundation in the Northern, North Central, Central Highlands, and Southern regions.

Implementing the Prime Minister 's Official Dispatch No. 76/CD-TTg on focusing on responding to the risk of heavy rain, landslides, flash floods and proactively preventing natural disasters in the coming time, limiting damage to people's lives and property, following Official Dispatch No. 3744/CD-BCT, the Minister of Industry and Trade requests the Departments of Industry and Trade of provinces and cities to strictly implement the contents of Official Dispatches No. 70/CD-TTg, No. 76/CD-TTg of the Prime Minister; No. 3744/CD-BCT of the Minister of Industry and Trade.

At the same time, direct local hydropower dam owners to deploy protection of dams, hydropower reservoirs, and production; arrange forces, materials, machinery, and equipment to be ready to respond and overcome incidents; strictly implement reservoir operation procedures approved by competent authorities, ensuring scientific operation. Absolutely ensure safety for the project, contribute to flood reduction for downstream areas, effectively use water resources for power generation during peak hot months, closely coordinate with local authorities to promptly inform, ensure safety for people, especially in emergency flood discharge situations.

In addition, strengthen the direction of power units, mineral exploitation and processing units and industrial production facilities in the management area to deploy safety assurance and response plans for all natural disaster situations; direct the supervision of the safe operation of dams and hydroelectric reservoirs, advise the People's Committees of provinces and cities to absolutely not allow water storage for reservoirs that do not ensure safety; strengthen the installation of monitoring and supervision systems, provide data to functional units according to regulations, and provide 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. Review areas that may be isolated due to rain and floods to have specific plans to ensure the supply of essential goods, ready to mobilize and bring to market to serve the people, especially areas that are isolated due to natural disasters.

Hydroelectric reservoirs and power systems are kept absolutely safe, preventing artificial floods from occurring.

The Minister also requested Vietnam Electricity Group to organize inspections and direct units to self-inspecte the work of ensuring dam safety, preventing artificial floods and flash floods due to the impact of dams in areas under its management, ensuring safe power supply for rain and flood prevention and ensuring electricity for people's daily life and production.

Direct member units to focus on immediately overcoming the risks identified through Typhoon Yagi in 2024 for the power transmission system and hydroelectric dams (including Thac Ba Hydroelectric Power Plant). On the other hand, coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade to direct and inspect the implementation of measures to ensure the safety of dams, especially weak dams, small hydroelectric plants or those under construction or repair; the operation of hydroelectric reservoirs to ensure the safety of works and downstream safety in accordance with the developments of rain and floods.

The Minister requested the National Electricity System and Market Operation Company Limited to establish a method for operating the national electricity system, mobilizing reasonable power sources so that the national electricity system operates safely and continuously, ensuring sufficient electricity supply for the country's economic development and people's daily needs in a reserve manner.

Closely coordinate with the units managing and operating hydroelectric reservoirs to update the actual hydrological situation, flood situation and requirements of competent authorities, ensuring the efficiency of power generation; plan the regulation of hydroelectric reservoirs to ensure compliance with the inter-reservoir and single-reservoir operating procedures and the instructions of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee, the Disaster Prevention and Control Command Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities. In particular, coordinate with relevant units to optimize the operating mode of power plants and power grids, limit the risks of power grid incidents and generator set incidents.

For hydropower dam owners in provinces and cities, it is necessary to strictly comply with the inter-reservoir and single-reservoir hydropower operation procedures approved by competent authorities, especially when unusual situations arise, and ensure the safety of the works. Implement plans to ensure the safety of dams, downstream areas of reservoirs and unfinished works (absolutely do not leave people, materials and equipment in dangerous areas, areas with potential for causing unsafety), especially at key points and incidents caused by previous floods that have not been resolved.

In addition, closely coordinate with local authorities in warning and promptly informing people in the downstream area when implementing disaster response measures, especially in emergency flood discharge situations. Focus on immediately overcoming the risks identified through Typhoon Yagi in 2024, especially Thac Ba Hydropower Company for the incident in 2024 when the water flow to the reservoir exceeded the designed flood discharge capacity of the reservoir, seriously threatening the safety of the dam.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade requests that units of the Industry and Trade sector organize 24/24h duty, regularly monitor the developments of rain and floods from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, prepare forces and means to respond to natural disaster situations, focus on directing and seriously implementing this Telegram. In addition, regularly report information to the Standing Office for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Thanh Ha

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/bo-cong-thuong-yeu-cau-nganh-dien-thuy-dien-tap-trung-cao-ung-pho-mua-lon-lu-quet-sat-lo-post550211.html