Floods wreak havoc in central region

Flash flood coming down from Dong Tranh Mountain damaged thousands of houses in Quang Ngai Province's Binh Son District. More than 1,500 households were isolated and a road was ripped apart. Two people were killed and 11 reported injured in the flooding. — VNA/VNS Photo Tien Tri

QUANG NGAI — Torrential rain and floods left at least two dead and 11 injured, submerged multiple houses and blocked roads in Quang Ngai and Quang Nam provinces yesterday.

According to the Quang Ngai Province Committee for Flood and Storm Control, Binh Son District was the worst hit region.

Nearly 3,000 houses in the district were flooded. Flood waters pulled down 19 houses, damaged schools, rice fields and cereal crops, and swept away animals and poultry.

The Binh Son District People's Committee estimated the total loss at VND58 billion (US$3 million).

Floods also caused landslides and blocked traffic routes linking Binh Son District with National Highway 1A.

Thousands of passengers moving between the North and South got stuck in Quang Ngai Province because of the storm's effects.

"Many passengers and I were wrestling with idle time waiting for flood water to recede," said Nguyen Bay, who travelled to HCM City by bus to visit his ill son.

Son Binh Bridge that crosses To Hap River was buried in soil, isolating Son Lam and Thanh Son communes in Khanh Son mountainous district.

About 6,000, mostly ethnic people, live in the two communes.

According to the Khanh Son District People's Committee, local donors have provided 19 tonnes of rice to the two communes.

More than 330ha of the district's cereal crops were completely damaged and nearly 40ha of agricultural land destroyed.

The committee has asked authorities to help impacted locals. In Binh Son District, each family whose house collapsed has been given a tent and 50kg of rice.

Work is also underway to repair damaged roads and clear routes to isolated regions.

About 1,586 houses in low-lying and submerged areas in Binh Son, Tra Bong and Nghia Hanh districts were relocated to higher ground.

The Quang Ngai Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre said river water levels had already reached the third alarm level. Water levels on Tra Bong and Tra Khuc rivers were reported to be even higher. In fact, Tra Bong River is said to have water levels that surpass the historic flood in 1999.

To cope with this issue, the province has moved an additional 660 vulnerable houses from the same three districts.

Eight of the eleven big reservoirs in Quang Ngai Province are full. Two of them, Da Ban (in Mo Duc District) and Hoc Mua (in Binh Son District), are reportedly in danger of overflowing.

Provincial authorities have already crafted solutions to cope with the worst circumstances.

Other localities

Prolonged downpour also blocked traffic routes and separated many districts in Quang Nam Province.

Mo Su Mountain caved in, blocking traffic roads connecting the town of Nui Thanh with Tam Quang Commune and those linking National Highway 1A with the Ky Ha sea port.

Many communes of Nam Tra My and Nong Son districts were also submerged under 0.5 to 1.5 metres of water.

Central provinces from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue also experienced between 50mm and 100mm of rain yesterday. In Binh Dien of Thua Thien-Hue Province, water levels reached 163mm.

Heavy rain caused river water levels to rise quickly. As a result, flash floods and landslides are forecast at an alarming level.

Since about 40,000 wells were submerged, the National Centre for Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation has also supplied Cloramine B powder, Pur chemical and individual hygiene bags to disinfect the water in Phu Yen Province.

Cold spell in north

The National Hydro-Meteorology Forecast Centre says that low pressure mixed with a cold spell have brought rain and wind to the northern and mid central regions since last night.

Rain also occurred in some areas in the north and central Thanh Hoa Province.

Ha Noi is expected to experience low temperatures of 16 to 19 degrees Celsius.

The centre said river water levels from Thua Thien-Hue to Quang Nam would continue to increase while levels in the rivers of the Quang Ngai, Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces would recede.

The centre also warned of flash floods from Thua Thien-Hue to Quang Nam provinces. — VNS

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Power cuts loom as water levels at reservoirs decrease sharply

Water levels in many reservoirs have declined sharply compared to previous years, leading to possible electricity shortages.

Hoa Binh Reservoir, the biggest in the north, was at its lowest level for two decades.

The current water level stands at 99m, much lower than the reservoir's 117m capacity.

About 24.5 billion cubic meters of water flowed into the reservoir this year, 18.3 cubic meters less than the same period in previous years.

The National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Center warned that the total amount of water flowing into the reservoir during the remaining quarter of this year would reach 9.4 billion cubic meters.

The reservoir's water level is estimated to decrease by 22.5 billion cubic meters by the year's end.

This year's severe drought was to blame for the problem, said Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant director Nguyen Van Thanh.

There has been one small downpour this year. In the past, there were between five and eight, he said.

"Over the past 23 years of operation, this is the first time the plant hasn't had to open the sluice gate," Thanh said.

Other reservoirs also face the same problem, with many of their water levels reaching ‘death level' where turbines cease to safely function.

Son La Reservoir water level stands at 162m, 13m lower than the death level.

The water levels of Dai Ninh Reservoir in central Quang Nam Province, Ham Thuan Reservoir in central Binh Thuan Province and Tri An Reservoir in southern Dong Nai Province stand at just 0.2 m, 0.1m and 0.13m higher than death level, respectively.

Meanwhile, the monsoon season was set to end, worsening the water shortage situation, said deputy director of the center Nguyen Lan Chau.

"Rains are forecast in the next few months, however the expected 20-30mm of rainfall will not be enough to make up for the water shortages," she said.

Low water levels may lead to electricity shortages.

CEO of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Dao Van Hung said the company's electricity supply would be 5-10 per cent lower than demand as a result of the droughts.

The Hoa Binh hydropower plant annually generated more than 10 billion kWh and this year intended to generate 8.5 billion kWh but the target might be decreased due to water shortages, he said.

The plant generated 42 million kWh per day in 2009, but the figure had dropped to 32 million kWh a day this year.

The plant's director Thanh said electricity generation was limited due to water shortages while the Hoa Binh Reservoir had to start to reserve water for electricity generation during the approaching dry season.

The low water level at the Hoa Binh Reservoir would affect the construction of Turbine No 2 at the Son La hydropower plant, meaning that the power's electricity generation would slow, according to EVN deputy director general Vu Duc Thin.

The water level needed to measure 113m to be able to transport the equipment, but the present level was 99m, he said.

All 17 key EVN reservoirs faced water shortages while hydroelectricity accounted for 6,500MW of the company's total electricity generation capacity of 16,000-17,000MW, causing difficulties for electricity generation which would continue well into next year, CEO Hung said.

The company planned to propose the Ministry of Industry and Trade to map out plans to avoid rolling power cuts, he said.

"Cement and steel production plants, which consume large amounts of electricity, will be required to change their production plans to save electricity," he said.

Other power sources such as thermo-electricity would be maximized to help make up for the electricity shortages, he added.

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Water shortage may delay first run of largest power plant

Insufficient water may make it impossible for the nation's largest hydropower project in Son La to start running at the end of this year as planned, a local weather expert said.

The Son La power plant began to receive water in mid May, but its water level was just 160 meters, below the "dead point" of 170 meters.

Nguyen Lan Chau of the Central Hydrometeorology Center said water levels have been low this year and will not improve soon due to the lack of rain. She said she was worried that Son La will not have enough water by the end of the year.

Chau also said two of the three largest hydropower reservoirs in the northern region, Hoa Binh and Tuyen Quang, have also seen water levels fall this year.

Construction of the 2,400-megawatt Son La power plant is scheduled to be completed in 2012 but its first unit is to be put on line in December.

The government in April had already forecast that lack of water in reservoirs could translate into a loss of nearly 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity at hydropower plants this year.

Nguyen Hong Ha, head of the Son La project, said water shortage was the “biggest difficulty” for the power plant now. However, he said he still believed that the plan to start running the plant on December 25 was viable.

The problem is that, by storing water, Son La could affect the operation of Hoa Binh power plant, which is located downstream the same river.

Hoa Binh is expected to generate 8.5 billion kilowatt-hours this year but the plant’s general director, Nguyen Van Thanh, said it may have to cut the target to 7.5 billion.

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Water shortage may delay first run of largest power plant

Insufficient water may make it impossible for the nation's largest hydropower project in Son La to start running at the end of this year as planned, a local weather expert said.

The Son La power plant began to receive water in mid May, but its water level was just 160 meters, below the "dead point" of 170 meters.

Nguyen Lan Chau of the Central Hydrometeorology Center said water levels have been low this year and will not improve soon due to the lack of rain. She said she was worried that Son La will not have enough water by the end of the year.

Chau also said two of the three largest hydropower reservoirs in the northern region, Hoa Binh and Tuyen Quang, have also seen water levels fall this year.

Construction of the 2,400-megawatt Son La power plant is scheduled to be completed in 2012 but its first unit is to be put on line in December.

The government in April had already forecast that lack of water in reservoirs could translate into a loss of nearly 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity at hydropower plants this year.

Nguyen Hong Ha, head of the Son La project, said water shortage was the “biggest difficulty” for the power plant now. However, he said he still believed that the plan to start running the plant on December 25 was viable.

The problem is that, by storing water, Son La could affect the operation of Hoa Binh power plant, which is located downstream the same river.

Hoa Binh is expected to generate 8.5 billion kilowatt-hours this year but the plant’s general director, Nguyen Van Thanh, said it may have to cut the target to 7.5 billion.

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