Voters in Nghe An province have requested that no more hydropower projects be developed.

In Nghe An province, there are 47 projects with approved planning, totaling 1,407.1 MW of capacity. Of these, 8 large projects with a capacity of 1,011 MW are under the approval authority of the Prime Minister; 24 projects with a total capacity of 291.8 MW are under the approval authority of the Ministry of Industry and Trade; and 15 projects with a total capacity of 102.8 MW are under the authority of the Provincial People's Committee.

However, recently, the Provincial People's Committee has requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to remove 15 hydropower projects with a total capacity of 46.15 MW from the planning due to their low efficiency..The province currently has 32 projects with a total capacity of 1,359.9 MW.

Nghe An province currently has 32 hydropower projects. Photo: Tien Hung

According to the head of the Department of Industry and Trade, out of the 32 hydropower projects included in the approved plan, 15 projects are already operational with a total capacity of 855.5 MW; and 9 projects are under construction with a total capacity of 101.4 MW.

“There are 5 projects with a total capacity of 327 MW that have received investment approval but have not yet been implemented, including the My Ly and Nam Mo 1 hydropower projects which are awaiting an agreement between the Vietnamese and Lao governments. Three projects with a total capacity of 67 MW are included in the approved plan but have not yet received investment approval…,” Mr. Tam said.

Mr. Hoang Van Tam answers questions. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Opening the questioning session, delegate Lo Thi Kim Ngan asked, "Regarding dam safety management, how many inspections and monitoring activities has the Department conducted, and have there been any findings of improper discharge procedures?"

Responding to Representative Ngan's question, Mr. Hoang Van Tam stated that the procedures for releasing water from the bottom of the reservoir and releasing floodwaters at hydropower plants are carried out according to plans stipulated by competent authorities. "In recent years, only the Nam Mo hydropower plant has been found to have released water improperly. This was subsequently addressed by the Department of Industry and Trade and the People's Committee of Ky Son district, which requested the investor to rectify the situation and compensate the affected residents," Mr. Tam said.

Representative Tran Duy Ngoan raises questions. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Meanwhile, delegate Tran Duy Ngoan stated that there are currently many outstanding issues and obstacles related to the resettlement of people in hydropower areas. "I have carefully studied the written explanation from the Director of the Department, but I am still unclear about the solutions to definitively resolve these issues. I request that the Director of the Department provide specific solutions," Mr. Ngoan said.

Currently, there are three hydropower projects in the province that require the relocation of a large number of people: Ban Ve (3,002 households), Hua Na (1,362 households), and Khe Bo (585 households). “Among these three hydropower projects, there are 25 outstanding issues. The Director of the Department's explanation states that the resolution of most of these issues will take place in the third and fourth quarters of 2018. Can you guarantee to the voters and the Provincial People's Council that these issues will be resolved completely in the third and fourth quarters of 2018?” Mr. Ngoan continued to question.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Hoang Van Tam did not directly answer the question but only pointed out some obstacles to resolving existing problems such as the authority to resolve them, changes in policies due to prolonged delays over many years, as well as solutions that are expected to be implemented in the near future. “These problems are not new; they have arisen over the past 10 years. Many levels and sectors have worked with each investor and locality to address these existing issues; we are not just addressing them today…,” Mr. Tam said.

Representative Phan Thị Thanh Thủy (Thái Hòa) asks a question in the assembly hall. Photo: Thành Cường

Meanwhile, delegates Dang Quang Hong and Luc Thi Lien both argued that the current resettlement conditions for people in hydropower areas are not good. “The State’s stance is to ensure resettlement conditions are better than or equal to their previous living conditions, but most people are already aware of this. So, what is the responsibility of the relevant parties in developing resettlement projects?” delegate Hong asked.

In addition, delegates also pointed out that some hydropower projects are causing environmental damage and landslides, and requested the Director of the Department to clarify the Department's responsibility in advising and granting permits.

Also at the questioning session, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Huynh Thanh Dien participated in the discussion, clarifying the obstacles related to hydropower projects. “During the implementation of hydropower projects in the province, regulations have been strictly followed, and no major incidents have occurred. Only 3 large-scale resettlement hydropower projects have been undertaken; the rest have either no or very little resettlement. The backlog mainly lies in these 3 projects…,” Mr. Dien said.

The resettlement housing for the Ban Ve hydropower project has seriously deteriorated after nearly 10 years of use. Photo: Ho Phuong

Concluding the questioning session, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Xuan Son stated that during meetings with constituents, many voters had suggested that no further hydropower development be undertaken, especially small-scale hydropower. Given this situation, future hydropower development in the province must both ensure energy security and serve the needs of the people.

The head of the Nghe An Provincial People's Council requested the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments to actively supervise and inspect activities such as the construction and operation of hydropower projects to avoid negative consequences. At the same time, they urged strict adherence to safe reservoir operation regulations.

"Regarding resettlement issues, there are still some things we haven't completed, such as the difficult living conditions of the people, the shortage of land, the lack of clean water, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient compensation and support policies... I request the Provincial People's Committee, investors, and local authorities to continue to remove obstacles to resolve these issues," said the Chairman of the Provincial People's Council.

Tien Hung