Information vulnerability warning

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - The panic among many people in Nghe An province, who fled to the mountains on the night of July 27th due to rumors circulating on social media about a "Broken Ban Ve hydroelectric dam," attracted significant public attention. Only when officials at the Ban Ve hydroelectric plant officially announced that the information was false did many people breathe a sigh of relief.

The proactive evacuation efforts of communities to avoid flooding are commendable. However, proactive evacuation does not mean mass fleeing without considering the potential risks involved.

To effectively prevent and mitigate natural disasters, over the years we have built a disaster warning system reaching even the most remote communities through local broadcasting systems, Zalo groups, fan pages, and text messages. These information channels disseminate official information from authorities to warn and advise people, rather than relying on random accounts on social media to do this.

However, people panicked due to unsubstantiated information on social media, leading to spontaneous actions like fleeing to the mountains. Who can be sure that the worst won't happen during this evacuation of people and property?

Thanh Hoa province also has many large irrigation and hydroelectric reservoirs and dams. The operation of reservoirs and interconnected reservoir systems is governed by very specific and strict regulations. Flood releases from reservoirs must follow established procedures, in which the reservoir management agency will provide written information to the affected local authorities so that people can prepare accordingly. Furthermore, the reservoirs and dams are equipped with monitoring, assessment, and warning systems to assess safety levels, allowing the management agency to receive early warnings and issue reports.

Disaster prevention is not just about combating rising water levels and strong winds, but also about combating the spread of misinformation. Each rainy and stormy season is therefore a test of our capacity to manage and respond to urgent situations, where information plays a crucial role. We have only just entered the 2025 rainy and stormy season, and forecasts indicate that the weather will continue to be complex in the coming months. Therefore, following the false rumor about the "Ban Ve hydroelectric dam collapse," it is imperative that relevant authorities, government agencies, disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, and civil defense committees at all levels, down to individual communities, take measures to "plug" information gaps to prevent similar false rumors from occurring, ensuring ideological stability and social security and order.

Tue Minh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/canh-bao-ve-lo-hong-thong-tin-256430.htm