Walking, bathing and playing in the sand in the middle of the Da River which is gradually drying up

The prolonged heat has brought Hoa Binh Lake close to its dead water level. The Da River section below the Hoa Binh Hydroelectric Dam has dried up, leaving many boats immobile.

Mr. Nguyen Van Huong, Head of Weather Forecasting Department, National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said that up to now, the total flow on rivers in the Northern region is 40 - 80% lower than the average of many years.

Shallow water forced many boats to stay ashore, and the foundation piles of Hoa Binh 1 bridge were exposed.

More than 5km downstream from the foot of the Hoa Binh Hydropower Dam, the lives of people in the floating village (group 14, Thinh Lang ward, Hoa Binh city) have been severely affected. Floating houses have hit the bottom, water flow is not flowing, and the living environment is becoming more polluted.

In addition, most of the domestic water sources of the people here are taken directly from the Da River.

Mr. Ngo Van Thong said that he has lived in the buoy hamlet for more than 40 years and this is the first time he has seen the Da River dry up to such a record level.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hoa, who has lived on the Da River for decades, works as a fisherman. "Since the beginning of the dry season, I have broken five propellers of my boat engine because they hit the river bottom. The water level is too shallow, there are fewer shrimp and fish, and my life has become difficult," said the elderly fisherman.

These days, at the foot of Hoa Binh 2 Bridge, people are freely strolling along the riverbed. The protruding gravel banks have become a place for people to have fun.

Normally, the riverbank here is a familiar swimming spot for the people of Hoa Binh city, but this time due to the shallow water, many places on the riverbed looked like a beach. Children were free to play, build sand and play games.

Hanging out with friends, Nguyen Huyen (20 years old) shared: "It's been a long time since I've seen the Da River so shallow, the sandbanks are as long as the beach, the water is shallow and cool."

Meanwhile, right below the dam gate, crowds of people gathered to swim and bathe despite warnings against it.

It is forecasted that the North will soon receive a large-scale heavy rain. As a result, the drought situation in the North as well as hydroelectric reservoirs in the North after June 15 is likely to improve.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/di-bo-tam-mat-nghich-cat-giua-dong-song-da-dang-dan-can-kiet-2154018.html