Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Hong Vinh inspects and directs flood response efforts in western Nghe An province.

Accompanying them were comrades: Dang Thanh Tung - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Chief of the Provincial People's Committee Office; Pham Hong Quang - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Construction; and Colonel Dinh Bat Van - Commander of the Nghe An Provincial Military Command.

According to information from the Director of the Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the circulation of typhoon No. 3 has caused very heavy rain in the western mountainous area of ​​Nghe An province with rainfall amounts generally ranging from 120 - 200mm, and in many places over 300mm (in the past 24 hours). At the same time, heavy rain has occurred and will continue to occur in the upper reaches of the Ca River in Lao territory.

The flood inflow into the Ban Ve hydropower reservoir is very high (flood inflow at 10:45 PM on July 22, 2025 was 10,044 m3/s, exceeding the design flood flow of 7,770 m3/s). The upstream water level is rising very rapidly, with the risk of exceeding the normal water level by the morning of July 23, 2025; there is a very high risk of flash floods, landslides on slopes, along rivers and streams, and deep flooding in low-lying areas.

According to Urgent Notice No. 604 issued by the Provincial People's Committee at 9 PM on July 22, 2025, the water flow into the upstream of Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir reached 9,543 m³/s, nearly reaching the peak flood flow rate of 10,500 m³/s, equivalent to a flood frequency of 0.02%.

In response to this situation, Ban Ve Reservoir is implementing flood control measures, currently releasing water downstream at a rate of 1,727 m³/s, and this rate is expected to increase rapidly in the near future.

The Provincial People's Committee requests that relevant departments and agencies, especially the Provincial Military Command, the Provincial Police, and the local authorities in the downstream areas of the Ban Ve Hydropower Plant, urgently implement response measures.

In particular, it is necessary to urgently mobilize all forces and resources to support the relocation of people and property to safe places; ensure smooth communication and timely reporting to the Provincial People's Committee, the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control - Search and Rescue and Civil Defense, and relevant agencies when situations or incidents occur.

Ban Ve Hydropower Plant is the largest hydropower project in Nghe An province and the North Central region, with a designed capacity of 320MW and a catchment area of ​​over 8,700km².

During a field inspection along National Highway 7, particularly in the Vuc Bong pass area (Con Cuong commune), Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Hong Vinh listened to reports from functional forces and local authorities on the situation of rain and floods, the risk of landslides, and developments at irrigation reservoirs and dams.

After assessing the situation, Comrade Le Hong Vinh requested that localities and relevant units intensify propaganda efforts, warning people to absolutely refrain from fishing, salvaging timber, or traveling along the river to prevent unfortunate accidents; and to deploy personnel and resources, especially boats and canoes, to assist in relocation, absolutely ensuring the safety of people's lives and property.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also emphasized the need to strengthen inspection and close supervision of reservoirs and dams, promptly detect and handle potential incidents, and ensure the safe operation of the structures.

Next, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Hong Vinh inspected the Ban Mong Reservoir headworks complex - a key irrigation and hydropower project in the region, built on the Hieu River.

The lake has a surface area of ​​approximately 25 km², mainly located in the former districts of Quỳ Hợp, Quỳ Châu, and Nghĩa Đàn in Nghệ An province, and a part of the former Như Xuân district in Thanh Hóa province. The main dam is located in Yên Hợp commune, former Quỳ Hợp district, now Tam Hợp commune, Nghệ An province.

In phase 1, the reservoir has a designed capacity of 225 million m³, with 8 pumping stations drawing water along the Hieu River and a 45 MW hydropower plant. The project is required by the Government to be completed and put into operation before December 31, 2025.

At the scene, Nguyen Hao, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: On July 22, due to heavy rain, the water level upstream of the reservoir reached 71.1m, higher than the concrete spillway threshold (63.6m). Currently, the reservoir has not yet accumulated water, so it is draining freely through the gates. The structure is still operating normally and safely.

To ensure the safety of the people, the Department of Agriculture and Environment coordinated with local authorities to promptly review and assess the upstream area of ​​the Ban Mong reservoir; thereby promptly relocating nearly 90 households in Chau Binh commune, formerly part of Quy Chau district, to a safe location.

Along National Highway 48, the section passing through Chau Binh commune experienced localized flooding for 600 meters early this morning, with approximately 350 meters remaining flooded to an average depth of 1.5 meters. The Provincial Military Command has deployed two motorboats since morning to transport and assist residents in crossing the flooded area.

Following on-site inspections and reports, after the completion of the first two phases of prevention and response, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province requested that departments, agencies, and localities shift their focus to phase 3 (post-flood recovery); in which all forces must coordinate to ensure the adequate supply of essential goods to affected people, ensuring that no one lacks anything, guaranteeing the safety of people's lives and property; and at the same time, quickly restoring daily life and production.