Nghe An: Hydropower survey lacks accuracy, many houses and graves are submerged deep under the lake bed
(Baonghean.vn) - Due to the poor survey and environmental impact assessment, Chi Khe Hydropower Plant has had to continuously adjust its planning of the affected area over the past few years. Although initially assessed to be located above the flood level, many households have been submerged in the lake bed when the hydropower plant has just started to accumulate water.
Slow in compensation
For more than 3 years now, Mr. Vi Dinh Quyet's family (Chau Dinh village, Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong) has had to borrow land from neighbors to open a temporary road leading outside. Mr. Quyet's small house is located on a piece of land more than 800 square meters wide next to the lake.Chi Khe Hydropower Plant.When this hydroelectric plant started construction, the authorities surveyed and assessed that this household was not subject to relocation.
Mr. Quyet said that at that time, his family only received 70 million VND in compensation for more than 200 square meters of garden land and some affected agricultural land. However, in 2017, when this hydroelectric plant was storing water, like many other households, the water level rose to almost his house. The only road leading to the house was submerged deep under the lake. During that time, the only way for the whole family to go out was by boat.
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| The only road leading to Mr. Quyet's house is submerged under the lake. Photo: Tien Hung |
According to Mr. Quyet, the authorities then continued to survey and concluded that his family had to move to a new place. However, Mr. Quyet has not yet received compensation for the move. “Recently, when I went to the commune to ask, I heard that we would be compensated another 280 million for all the trees, houses and land. But we have not received it yet. And with that amount of money, it is really difficult to buy land and build a house,” Mr. Quyet said.
Meanwhile, according to a report in April 2019 by the People's Committee of Con Cuong district, Mr. Quyet's household had received compensation and resettlement support but had not yet relocated as committed. However, in November 2020, speaking with a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper, a cadastral officer of Chau Khe commune admitted that Mr. Quyet's household had not yet received all of the compensation.
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| Mr. Quyet had to borrow from his neighbors to open a temporary road to get outside. Photo: Tien Hung |
Mr. Vi Dinh Quyet is one of hundreds of households affected by the inaccurate survey and environmental impact assessment of Chi Khe hydropower plant. According to initial assessments, Bung village (Chau Khe commune) was not affected by this hydropower plant. However, in early 2017, when the hydropower plant stored water to generate electricity, the road connecting Bung village to the residential area and production area of the people in this village also disappeared. The water rose, the fields next to the small stream and the road became a vast lake, 37 households in Bung village were isolated in the middle of the forest. Mr. Lo Van Huong, a front officer of Bung village, said that the village has about 600 hectares of forest and production land, of which 85% of the area is on the other side of the lake. Therefore, production for the people is very difficult because the road is flooded but there is no bridge. Meanwhile, since 2017, the hydropower plant has promised to build a bridge.
Rough survey
Also in Bung village, a series of houses after the hydroelectric dam has been filled with water have cracked, at risk of collapsing at any time. Currently, the investor has coordinated with the District Compensation Council and the Chau Khe commune government to hold many meetings to persuade households to accept the options of the households staying so that the investor can build a dike to ensure long-term stability or the households will receive compensation and move to a new place, but so far the households have not accepted.
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| The Chi Khe hydroelectric reservoir was originally planned to be only 800 hectares wide, but when water was stored, it rose to nearly 1,000 hectares, forcing many households to relocate. Photo: Tien Hung |
People in Bung village (Chau Khe commune) were also shocked because more than 100 graves buried along the forest edge for decades were submerged after the Chi Khe hydropower plant stored water. Many areas of production land of the people that had not been compensated were also submerged. In addition, many households in Khe Choang village of this commune also suffered from cracks and were subject to relocation, although they were not previously on the list.
In Lang Khe commune, after the hydropower plant stored water, a residential road in Yen Hoa village was upgraded but was washed away. In the 2018 flood, the riverside production land of 47 households in Boong village was eroded dozens of meters inland, widening the riverbed. In Khe Thoi village, from 2018 to present, the riverside production land has also been severely eroded, eating away more than 100 meters. In 2018 alone, the erosion caused 12 hectares of riverside production land to disappear, and 101 households in the commune lost their land and requested support from the hydropower plant owner. This request is well-founded, however, so far, the support has not been implemented.
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| The ancient burial area has sunk deep into the bottom of the hydroelectric reservoir. Photo: Tien Hung |
Similarly, in Cam Lam and Don Phuc communes, after the hydroelectric dams filled with water, dozens of hectares of alluvial land were submerged. In particular, riverbank erosion became more serious.
Discussing this issue, the leader of Con Cuong district said that due to the poor survey of the hydropower plant owner, the assessment of the level of flooding at the 38m elevation of the hydropower plant was not true to reality, causing a large area that was not calculated for compensation to be submerged, including graves. After discovering this error, the People's Committee of Con Cuong district requested the hydropower plant investor to re-measure to compensate the people. In a recent meeting with the investor of Chi Khe hydropower plant, the leader of the district continued to request the hydropower plant owner to urgently build a bridge for the people of Bung village to cross, pay compensation, and assess the level of landslides to compensate the people who lost their land.
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| Since the start of construction, Chi Khe Hydropower Plant has had to request planning adjustments many times. Photo: Tien Hung |
“About compensationWe have urged many times but the hydropower plant kept asking for more time, saying that the company's business was difficult," said Mr. Luong Dinh Viet - Vice Chairman of Con Cuong District People's Committee.
Chi Khe Hydropower Plant has a total investment of 1,370 billion VND, the design elevation of the hydropower dam is 38m, the capacity of 2 units of 40 MW, and started construction in 2013. However, up to now, this hydropower plant has had to request to adjust the planning to add affected areas 3 times.
According to Mr. Luong Thanh Hai - Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Con Cuong district, the initial planned area of the reservoir was only 800 hectares, but now it is nearly 1,000 hectares. In 2017, when the hydropower plant was tested, it only reached the elevation of 36.5m and flooded more than 100 hectares of people's land. After that, Con Cuong district had to urgently issue a document requesting the hydropower plant to stop storing water to adjust the planning. After the adjustment was completed, the hydropower plant stored water to the elevation of 38m, but many other areas continued to arise.
“The survey and environmental impact assessment were done carelessly. Initially, the estimate was only 35 billion VND for site clearance, but now it has cost nearly 300 billion VND and is still not finished. Initially, only 30 households had to be relocated, but now it has doubled. Meanwhile, compensation is being delayed,” said Mr. Hai.