Completing the warning system on the Huong River basin

Recently, the Project Management Board (PMU) has handed over the Xband T2 Radar station at Binh Dien Hydropower Dam (Huong Tra Town) - one of 31 locations for installing equipment of the project in the whole province.

This station consists of a 30m high antenna tower, on which is placed the Xband Radar. In addition, the installation items include surveillance cameras, downstream and upstream water level measurement systems, equipment for monitoring and forecasting rainfall flow, measuring flow through 5 valves, running machines, etc.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Hai, General Director of Binh Dien Hydropower Joint Stock Company, said that the T2 station has been completed and handed over to the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control for management and operation. The station has the function of scanning and forecasting rainfall in the whole province, helping authorities have accurate data and information to improve disaster prevention and control capacity, especially for hydropower and irrigation reservoirs located in the Huong River basin.

Every year, the company conducts monitoring, calculations, and reports every 15 minutes when there is a dangerous weather pattern or during a flood, including parameters such as upstream and downstream water levels, flow to the lake, spillway, turbines, and basin rainfall. During the construction of the T2 station, the company actively supported the project from the beginning. Currently, the station is located on land, using the company's power source, and also supports connection to the factory's equipment, for experts at the project...

According to the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control, this is a pilot technical assistance project funded by the Japanese Government, aiming to protect the safety of the historical relics of the Ancient Capital of Hue and limit flooding, minimizing damage to the Huong River basin.

The project's main objectives include minimizing human and property damage caused by rain and floods, contributing to ensuring sustainable socio-economic development through establishing a framework for reservoir operations in emergency situations; building a forecasting and warning system for vulnerable areas in the Huong River basin, contributing to the comprehensive development of a disaster prevention information system; building a pilot model for reservoir operations in emergency situations and effective flood management for research and replication in other river basins.

According to Mr. Dang Van Hoa, Chief of Office of the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control, when completed, the project will establish an operation and management system for the three large dams in operation in combination with disaster prevention and control in the Huong River basin. Complete the reservoir operation process, create a decision support tool for management agencies...

To date, the main volumes of the project have been completed, basically meeting the objectives and tasks according to the aid agreement and approved documents. The equipment system formed from the project has been accepted and handed over to the beneficiary units for management and use in December 2022.

The Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control said that in the recent past, especially during the historic flood in October 2022, although the project has not been completed, it has been effective, not only in reservoir operation, flood regulation, and disaster prevention and control but also in serving the direction and operation of the province in other areas such as tourism, production organization, festivals and socio -economic development activities in the locality.

The project is extremely important to the province in disaster prevention and control, real-time reservoir operation, displaying the network system serving the disaster prevention and control community, supporting economic life in the province, the system is connected to central agencies for direction and operation.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Hai Minh assessed that from 2021 to 2023, the Office of the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control has used software products from the project such as Xband Radar images, river water level measurement, rainfall measurement, rain forecasting software to support consulting, directing, operating reservoirs, monitoring floods and rains; sharing information to agencies and localities in the province, contributing to the effective implementation of disaster prevention and control work.

In order to promote the results of the project and to prepare for the reception, management and operation, the Provincial People's Committee directs the Provincial Irrigation Sub-Department to manage and operate the technical infrastructure system and equipment system of the project; requires localities and relevant agencies to direct the People's Committees of wards, communes and towns to strengthen coordination and support to ensure security and safety of the sponsored equipment system.

According to the Provincial People's Committee, in order to further promote the effectiveness of the project, the province has requested JICA and construction contractors to continue to provide technical support for system operation, arrange JICA experts and volunteers to support project operation. At the same time, it has proposed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development , units under the General Department of Hydrometeorology, and the Institute of Water Resources to continue to support the operation and maintenance of the project system.

Recently, the Provincial People's Committee coordinated with the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention and Control to organize the inauguration ceremony of the Project "Operating reservoirs in emergency situations and effectively managing floods using a comprehensive disaster management information system". The project has a total investment of 18.2 million USD (about 414 billion VND), of which, the non-refundable ODA capital of Japan is 1.8 billion yen (over 16.65 million USD). This event not only marks the completion of the project, but also the application of modern Japanese technology in serving disaster prevention and control work in general and inter-reservoir operation in particular in the province.

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