Safety risks during the rainy season

A view of Ong Toi reservoir.

At Phuong Hoang reservoir (Binh Tan Phu commune, Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province), which covers an area of ​​over 9 hectares and is responsible for irrigating 38 hectares of rice fields and serving the needs of approximately 150 households, many areas are subsiding and damaged after more than 30 years of operation and exploitation.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Tan Phu commune, said: "The reason why the Phuong Hoang reservoir is now empty is due to this year's hot weather, along with the fact that the dam has been damaged over time but there is no funding for maintenance and repair. The fact that the reservoir cannot retain water has affected the lives of more than 150 households downstream and they lack a water source for irrigation during the summer-autumn crop season."

Meanwhile, the Ong Toi reservoir in Tu Son 1 village, Duc Lan commune, Mo Duc district, Quang Ngai province, has a capacity of approximately 1.5 million cubic meters of water. It was constructed in 1983 and renovated and upgraded in 1996. The project is responsible for irrigating over 170 hectares of agricultural land (including 114.5 hectares of double-cropped rice and 55.5 hectares of other crops) and will also supply water to the An Son Industrial Cluster in Duc Lan commune in the future.

However, after a period of operation, many components of the headworks complex, such as the earth dam, spillway, and water intake, have seriously deteriorated and are showing numerous cracks along the dam body, posing a risk to its ability to retain water for agricultural production and ensure the livelihoods of people in the downstream areas of the reservoir. The safety of the dam is a cause for concern as the rainy and stormy season approaches.

To ensure the safety of the Ong Toi reservoir and the downstream area, in 2019 the People's Committee of Mo Duc district, along with relevant departments and agencies in the province, temporarily repaired the cracks. However, the cracks are becoming longer and more numerous, posing a significant risk of structural failure to the dam.

Mr. Nguyen Mau Bien, Deputy Director of Duc Lan Agricultural Cooperative, said: “At the end of August 2024, local people discovered dozens of new cracks on the Ong Toi dam. As local residents, we hope that the government and relevant agencies will soon find solutions to address and repair these cracks to ensure the safety of lives and property of local people.”

Authorities have inspected the dam and noted dozens of large and small cracks on its structure. Some cracks are 15 to 20 meters long, about 1 meter deep, and 0.5 to 2 centimeters wide. These cracks are particularly prevalent in the middle and northern sections of the dam, posing a high risk to reservoir safety during the rainy season. Furthermore, the water intake structure is also severely degraded and damaged.

According to Mr. Ngo Van Thanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Mo Duc District, in order to ensure the safety of the water reservoir, minimize the risk of dam failure, protect people and property in the downstream area, provide stable irrigation water for more than 170 hectares of agricultural land, and supply water to the An Son Industrial Cluster with a flow rate of 1,500 m3/day, investing in the repair and upgrading of the Ong Toi water reservoir in Duc Lan commune is urgent and absolutely necessary.

According to a report by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) of Quang Ngai province, as of July 2024, Quang Ngai province has 836 irrigation works, including 127 reservoirs, 557 diversion dams, 8 saltwater intrusion prevention dams, and 144 pumping stations that are managed and operated to supply water for agricultural production and other economic sectors. The total length of the canal system in the province is 4,275.0 km...

Mr. Vo Quoc Hung, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quang Ngai province, said that to ensure the safety of dams and reservoirs during the rainy season, the department has advised the Provincial People's Committee to direct localities and units managing and operating dams and reservoirs in the province to urgently review, remedy, and temporarily repair subsidence, erosion, landslides, and fractures at dams and reservoirs. In addition, they are finalizing disaster response plans to ensure dam safety during the rainy season; preparing sufficient human resources, materials, equipment, and reserve supplies; and ensuring personnel are on duty 24/7 at the reservoirs in all situations.

According to Mr. Hung, in the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2026-2030, the department also proposed that the Provincial People's Committee and the Central Government consider allocating funds for a phased implementation to repair and upgrade 22 damaged and degraded water reservoirs.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/nhieu-ho-dap-xuong-cap-nguy-co-mat-an-toan-vao-mua-mua-10290281.html