Focus on responding to exceptionally large floods on Ba and Kon rivers

Floods on Ba and Kon rivers are exceeding alert level 3. The Prime Minister requested localities to mobilize maximum forces, evacuate people and ensure dam safety.

Currently, floods in Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa provinces continue to be very complicated. According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, floods on the Kon River are still rising and remain above alert level 3. Floods on the Ba River at Phu Lam station continue to increase and have exceeded alert level 3, equal to the historic flood level in 1993.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung inspects flood response work in Dien Dien commune ( Khanh Hoa province). Photo: Nguyen Hoang.

In that situation, on November 19, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung signed the Prime Minister's Official Dispatch No. 222/CD-TTg on focusing on responding to the exceptionally large floods on the Ba River (Dak Lak), and emergency floods on the Kon River (Gia Lai). The dispatch was sent to the Secretaries and Chairmen of the People's Committees of Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Khanh Hoa provinces and the Ministers of the following Ministries: National Defense, Public Security, Agriculture and Environment, Finance, Construction, Industry and Trade, Education and Training, and Health.

To proactively prevent and respond promptly to ensure the safety of people's lives and minimize property damage, the Prime Minister requested leaders of provinces and ministries and branches to focus on resolutely and effectively implementing previous instructions in Official Dispatches 217/CD-TTg, 218/CD-TTg and 219/CD-TTg. In particular, a number of urgent tasks must be carried out immediately.

Specifically, the army, police and other forces must be mobilized to the maximum, using all means and measures to immediately approach residential areas that are deeply flooded, cut off, isolated, or have landslides in order to promptly evacuate people to safety. In evacuation areas, it is necessary to ensure adequate food, drinking water and essential necessities, absolutely not allowing people to go hungry, cold or lack clean water.

Localities are required to proactively operate hydroelectric and irrigation reservoirs safely, promote flood reduction efficiency for downstream areas, and ensure absolute safety for dams and reservoirs. Authorities need to strengthen control, guidance, and remote traffic coordination to divert traffic and resolutely prevent people and vehicles from entering deeply flooded and landslide-prone areas.

Monitoring of especially heavy rains and floods and emergency floods must be carried out closely; information must be communicated promptly to authorities at all levels and people to proactively respond at the highest level.

Army forces support isolated people in Yang Mao commune, Dak Lak. Photo: Dak Lak Electronic Newspaper.

The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Finance are assigned to promptly provide means and equipment upon request from localities to support disaster recovery when requested. Other ministries and branches, according to their functions and authority, proactively coordinate with localities to direct the implementation of flood response measures to minimize damage.

Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam and Vietnam News Agency are required to increase information time, promptly update natural disaster situations and response direction of functional agencies.

The Government Office is responsible for monitoring and urging ministries, branches and localities to seriously implement the Official Dispatch; at the same time, promptly reporting to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in charge on arising and unexpected issues.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/tap-trung-ung-pho-voi-lu-dac-biet-lon-tren-song-ba-song-kon-d785274.html