Yen Thanh: Many solutions to mitigate natural disasters in reservoir and dam areas.

(Baonghean) - Yen Thanh district has over 250 medium and small-sized reservoirs and dams. Most of these reservoir and dam systems were built a long time ago and have deteriorated severely over the years. To ensure safety during the rainy season and sufficient water for production, in 2014, Yen Thanh district invested in upgrading and repairing a number of reservoirs and dams in key areas.

The Nhan Tien reservoir, located in the mountainous Tien Thanh commune, despite having a storage capacity of only 100,000 cubic meters and providing irrigation water for 40 hectares of cultivated land, plays a crucial role in flood control for the system of larger reservoirs such as Ke Sat and Don Hung. In 2013, due to the consecutive impact of three storms and heavy rains, landslides occurred on the dam body and spillway, threatening the lives of over 30 households in the downstream area. In early 2014, with urgent funding from the Provincial People's Committee, the Nhan Tien dam was upgraded with several items including a bridge over the road, a spillway, a local road, and reinforced dam banks, with a total investment of 2.9 billion VND. After nearly three months of intensive construction, over 70% of the work has been completed. Mr. Nguyen Huu Dai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Thanh commune, said: "The local government has urged the contractor to ensure the quality of the project, and organized the People's Inspection Committee and community supervision to closely monitor the project, ensuring that it meets technical and aesthetic standards as well as the construction schedule."

Emergency response drill for a dam breach at Don Hung reservoir – Hung Thanh commune – Yen Thanh district.

In My Thanh mountainous commune, in conjunction with the National Target Program on New Rural Development, the commune has received state investment in the construction of an irrigation system. Specifically, two local reservoirs, Khe Cua and Truong Dam, received funding for upgrading and repair with a total investment of 10 billion VND. Despite the numerous construction items and limited funding, the construction unit, with high determination, has completed all items, including excavating and filling 5,000 cubic meters of earth in the reservoir and dam slopes, increasing the storage capacity to nearly 200,000 cubic meters of water. The dam embankment has been raised 1 meter compared to the original design; the downstream slope has been planted with grass to prevent erosion, and the upstream slope has been paved with dry stone and reinforced concrete. The spillway, in particular, has been widened to 10 meters and reinforced with concrete. The investor, the People's Committee of the district, inspected and handed it over to the local authorities for operation, ensuring a reserve water source for irrigation during the summer-autumn crop season and safety during the rainy season. Currently, Danh Nhung Co., Ltd. is accelerating the construction progress of phase 1 at the Truong dam, striving to complete the spillway before the rainy season.

As a lowland and semi-mountainous district with numerous reservoir and dam systems, Yen Thanh district has implemented 25 investment projects to repair and upgrade its reservoir and dam systems since 2011, thanks to provincial budget support and matching district funds. Among these, several key reservoirs and dams such as: Khe Bai dam in Ma Thanh commune; 3-2 dam in Dong Thanh commune; Ky Ruou dam in Tang Thanh commune; Khe Chuoi and Khe Cho dams in Tay Thanh commune; Khe Trau dam in Quang Thanh commune (invested by the Provincial Flood Control Department); Bau Trang dam in Trung Thanh commune; Cay Tang dam in Son Thanh commune... have basically completed their components, ensuring reservoir safety, increasing storage capacity, and stabilizing irrigated areas. Yen Thanh district continues to leverage its internal resources and effectively resolve land clearance issues to attract investment for reservoirs and dams with a capacity of 200,000 m3 or more. In 2014 alone, efforts were made to complete 15 projects to repair and upgrade reservoirs and dams, ensuring water supply for agricultural production in highland communes and mitigating natural disasters during the upcoming rainy season. In particular, the Don Hung dam in Hung Thanh commune and the Nha Tro reservoir in Tan Thanh mountainous commune, with large water reserves of 3.5 to 4.3 million cubic meters, despite numerous upgrades and repairs, suffered erosion at the water intake gates during heavy rains at the end of last year, and subsidence and leakage occurred on the upstream and downstream dam slopes. Despite financial constraints, the managing units, the Bac Irrigation Company Limited and the Yen Thanh Irrigation Enterprise, focused on addressing these issues before this year's rainy season; opening additional spillways, repairing landslides, reinforcing dike slopes, and raising the dam body...

To proactively deal with any situation, on June 9th, Yen Thanh district selected the Don Hung reservoir to hold a provincial-level flood and storm prevention drill for 2014, aiming to handle situations involving the risk of dam failure during heavy rain and floods. In addition to mobilizing forces to help people reinforce their houses, secure property, and evacuate 400 people from 154 households in 4 downstream hamlets of Lang Thanh, Tien Thanh, and Hung Thanh communes to two safe locations, the District Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue Command mobilized hundreds of people, including militia forces, core platoons from Tien Thanh, Hung Thanh, Lang Thanh, and Dong Thanh communes, and the District Police and Military Command. They used 3000 cubic meters of rock to reinforce the dam body against seepage and subsidence, prevent downstream slope slippage, and used explosives to breach the spillway when water overflowed the dam crest. Thanks to adhering to the "four on-site" principle, Yen Thanh district was rated excellent by the Provincial Steering Committee and the Steering Committee for this exercise. Mr. Nguyen Sy Hung, Vice Chairman of the Yen Thanh District People's Committee, said: This is an opportunity for Yen Thanh district to improve the leadership and guidance capacity of the Party committee, the management capacity of the government; the coordination and consultation of various departments and organizations; and the coordination in mobilization between military, police, and other departments and organizations from the district to the grassroots level when storm and flood situations occur. Through this, it contributes to fostering and raising the awareness of vigilance among the people; The district has demonstrated a high level of application of equipment and resources, and has effectively mobilized forces according to the "four on-the-spot" principle to cope with natural disasters such as floods and storms in reservoir and dam areas. For reservoir and dam construction projects currently underway, the district has regularly urged and strengthened community supervision, and required contractors to prioritize the most important items for construction. Although Government Resolution 1792 stipulates that projects should be undertaken based on available funds, Yen Thanh district has mobilized all available capital to achieve 140% of the plan, promptly addressing critical issues and preventing any incidents from occurring.

Given the impact of global climate change, natural disasters are becoming increasingly complex, with a tendency to increase in intensity, unpredictability, and danger. Therefore, disaster mitigation solutions in Yen Thanh district are absolutely essential. Along with the synchronized implementation of flood control plans, Yen Thanh district is proactively implementing various solutions for key reservoir and dam areas to improve safety during the rainy season.

Text and photos:Sun