Need to inspect and check compliance with flood prevention and control plans in downstream areas of hydropower plants

People sacrificed and lost a lot.

Reporter:Dear National Assembly delegate Le Quang Huy, after meeting with voters in the mountainous districts of Ky Son and Tuong Duong, where floods occurred in July and August 2018, what are your feelings?

National Assembly Delegate Le Quang Huy:As a National Assembly delegate of Nghe An province, I have had more than 4 years of regular meetings with voters of 5 districts of constituency No. 1 of the province, including 3 mountainous districts along National Highway 7A, namely Ky Son, Tuong Duong and Con Cuong.

Comrade Le Quang Huy - Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment. Photo: Thanh Cuong

My general feeling is that in recent years, despite difficulties and shortages, I have seen many positive changes in the lives of ethnic minorities here. That is the result of the efforts of the Party, the State and the locality to implement policies and laws on the development of ethnic minorities in mountainous areas; the joint efforts and contributions of the people and the business community.

However, during the meeting with voters of the above units in early October 2018, through discussions with local leaders, we were informed of many more issues.

"A major issue that voters have many opinions and petitions to me about is that the ethnic people here have just suffered, sacrificed, and lost lives and property due to floods caused by the circulation of storms No. 3 and No. 4; including the flood discharge of some hydropower plants operating in this area in mid and late August 2018."-National Assembly Delegate Le Quang Huy

Comrade Le Quang Huy presented gifts to 10 disadvantaged households in Ta Ca commune, Ky Son district. Photo: Phuong Thuy.

Many roads, schools, and houses were eroded, flooded, swept away, and collapsed; some communes were isolated; people's lives were severely affected... Faced with this situation, provincial and local leaders have been very close, promptly directed, and focused efforts on overcoming the consequences, supporting local people to stabilize their lives; and clarifying the causes to find fundamental, long-term solutions.

More cautious about hydropower

Reporter:It is known that during the period when he worked in Nghe An as Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, he was one of the key officials of the province who had many concerns when the upstream of the major rivers were planned to build a dense network of hydroelectric projects. Could you help readers of Nghe An Newspaper understand this?

National Assembly Delegate Le Quang Huy:Before taking up work at Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, at the request of the National Assembly, I participated in a thematic supervision session related to planning management, investment in construction and operation of hydropower projects nationwide, so I have some understanding of this issue. Hydropower plays an important role in ensuring energy security for the country; large, multi-purpose hydropower plants also help regulate floods, provide water for production and people's lives...

Nam Mo Hydropower Plant, located about 3km from Muong Xen town, Ky Son district. Photo: Nhat Lan.

"In addition to positive results, monitoring shows that the management of planning, investment in construction, and operation of hydropower projects - especially small and medium hydropower projects in some localities - still has many limitations" -National Assembly Delegate Le Quang Huy

There are 5 outstanding issues: (1) Unreasonable planning, hydropower cascades are quite dense on a river; (2) Not enough attention has been paid to environmental impact assessment, the assessment quality is not high; (3) Ensuring safe operation and exploitation, implementing reservoir operation procedures, and water regulation have not been strictly followed; (4) Not fully meeting the goals and requirements for ensuring safety for downstream areas, especially establishing and operating the water flow forecasting and early warning system; implementing flood prevention and control plans; (5) There are still many difficulties in resettlement, reforestation, and replacement forestation.

I agree with the need to plan, invest in construction and exploitation of hydropower plants on the upper reaches of the Ca River and its tributaries, in accordance with the provisions of general law and the requirements of the province.

However, through monitoring, field surveys, and contact with voters in districts and communes along National Highway 7A and National Highway 48A near these projects and works, I am concerned about the thoughts, aspirations, and concerns of the ethnic people here. There are still shortcomings, difficulties, and problems at different levels, but all of the above 5 issues are related to hydropower projects in the area.

Ban Ve Hydropower Plant releases floodwaters. Photo: Nhat Lan.

At that time, I reported this to the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and after the working process, on November 4, 2015, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee issued Notice No. 11-TB/TU on the policy of building hydropower plants in the province.

The main message in this announcement expresses a more cautious view on hydropower, specifically not continuing to research and survey to establish hydropower projects in the province (including projects already in the planning); reviewing, reporting, and submitting to competent authorities to remove from the planning hydropower projects that do not have investors. I completely agree with this policy of the province and have always expressed, not only in words - that view within the scope of my responsibilities.

Need to perform well the task of inspection and supervision

Reporter:What do you think when hydroelectric plants discharge flood water but cause flooding in mountainous areas such as Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong... How should hydroelectric plants show their responsibility when this situation occurs? What should be done to prevent similar situations from occurring in Nghe An province in the coming years?

Tuong Duong district was deeply flooded during the flood in August 2018. Photo: Lo Thanh Long

National Assembly Delegate Le Quang Huy:I know that some hydropower plants operating in Ky Son, Tuong Duong and Con Cuong districts have supported, shared and compensated, although not much, with the province and the ethnic people living in the area where the plants operate, who have suffered losses, damages and difficulties after natural disasters, heavy rains and storms causing floods, inundation and waterlogging, including the unwanted impacts caused by the implementation of reservoir and inter-reservoir operation procedures of hydropower plants and flood prevention and control plans. This support and sharing action is welcome.

A residential area in Ban Ve, Yen Na commune, Tuong Duong district was wiped out by flood. Photo: Nhat Lan

"To find the cause of the above situation, in my opinion, the provincial authorities need to consider the construction and implementation of: (1) Reservoir and inter-reservoir regulation procedures; (2) Flood prevention and control plans for downstream areas of hydropower plants."- National Assembly Delegate Le Quang Huy

According to the provisions of law, the above documents must be approved by competent authorities and investors of hydropower plants, relevant organizations and individuals must implement them correctly and fully; ensure the requirements on safety of reservoirs and dams; operate, regulate and discharge floods to ensure safety for downstream areas; minimize negative impacts on the environment and society...; in which special attention must be paid to implementing regulations on flood prevention and control preparations; coordination, information and reporting regimes; organize propaganda and dissemination for people in downstream areas to proactively respond to ensure the safety of human life and property.

People in Tuong Duong had to evacuate their relatives and property due to flooding. Photo: Ho Phuong

Accordingly, it is necessary to comprehensively inspect and examine compliance with the operating procedures of each reservoir and inter-reservoir in the Ca River basin (including Ban Ve, Khe Bo and Chi Khe reservoirs; this inter-reservoir operating procedure was approved by the Prime Minister since the end of 2015).

At the same time, inspect and check the compliance with the flood prevention and control plan for the downstream areas of hydroelectric plants (this plan is approved by the Provincial People's Committee). If the investor, the owner of the reservoir or dam of the hydroelectric plant does not fully comply with the regulations in the above documents, they will certainly be held responsible.

"To limit similar situations, in my opinion, if the provincial and local authorities perform their inspection and supervision tasks well and force investors to properly fulfill their responsibilities and duties according to the above mentioned procedures and plans, it will contribute to minimizing the harmful effects of hydropower that people in the downstream areas have had to suffer as in the recent past" -National Assembly Delegate Le Quang Huy

Regarding flood prevention and control plans, it is necessary to check the installation and operation of on-site monitoring equipment of hydropower plants; many hydropower plants have not fully installed or have installed but the equipment is not working. To develop a plan to relocate downstream areas in case of emergency flood discharge by hydropower plants or dam breaks, it is necessary to have very complete and accurate parameters to determine the number of households, areas, and structures affected, flood escape corridors, etc. to set up boundary markers, orientations, and safe relocation locations. These are aspects that provincial authorities need to pay attention to when assessing, approving, and inspecting the implementation of flood prevention and control plans for downstream areas.

Up to now, many households affected by floods in Tuong Duong district are still facing many difficulties in life. Photo: Nhat Lan

In order to develop a proper flood control and prevention plan, it is extremely important to have complete, accurate and timely information in the upstream area. About 30% of the Ca River basin area is located in Laos, so we need to have enough equipment to measure, monitor, forecast and give early warning. When the amount of flood water from the upstream of the Ca River from Laos flows too much and too quickly, the reservoir must discharge a very large flow to ensure the safety of the reservoir and dam, leading to a phenomenon that our people often call "flood on flood" or "double flood", causing unpredictable consequences for the downstream area. Regarding this issue, the provincial authorities need to be more proactive and continue to make proposals and recommendations to the Government.

Reporter:Thank you!