In the report of the People's Committee of Da Nang City sent to the Prime Minister on the damage caused by recent floods, there were recommendations to amend the inadequacy of the inter-reservoir operation process.
Notably, the proposal to change the phrase "flood discharge" - in the Vu Gia - Thu Bon River basin Inter-reservoir operation process (185 process signed by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung in 2019) - by calling it more correctly in technical terms: "operating to regulate through deep spillway".
According to Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee - Tran Nam Hung, the change from "flood discharge" means changing the operating method. That is, do not wait until the flood starts to release water from the hydroelectric reservoir. Regulating the discharge of reservoirs needs to be more flexible and proactive.
Hydropower reservoirs in the Central region and Da Nang are different from reservoirs in the North, which do not have valves and overflow bottom. Da Nang proposes to regulate the deep spillway - the lowest spillway of the reservoir.
Da Nang has also proposed that the Central Government delegate authority to the provincial chairman to be able to lower the deepest lake water level, leaving a larger capacity to receive rain and cut floods. Even recommended that the state pay compensation to the pond owner - if the pond is regulated and released, the flood will not happen as expected.
Hydropower discharge is not only a haunting phrase for people in the downstream area, especially the community near the hydropower reservoir, but it is not clear in the order for regulating and operating the reservoir. Not to mention, both inter-reservoir operation processes in the Ba River basin and in the Vu Gia - Thu Bon River basin are currently in priority order to protect works first, reduce floods downstream and behind.
The latest reality in Da Nang has proven that the amount of water flowing into the lakes on the Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers during the end of October rains reached 1.68 billion m3, while the flood prevention capacity was only over 274 million m3 - less than 1/6 of the actual amount. With that simple problem, if you wait until the flood to release, any lake will be forced to release a large amount of water. If they do not release water, the dam break - the disaster for downstream is even more terrible.
Procedures such as 1865 or 878 (on the Ba River basin) are no longer suitable in the context of climate change, extreme storms and other changes in administrative boundaries, the responsibility of local government heads - after the merger of provinces.
Therefore, the proposal to change the phrase "flood discharge" is not only a change in language and technique but also a change in risk management thinking. This proposal is aimed at prioritizing the protection of people's safety and the downstream benefits of power generation.
Not only Da Nang but also the Central and Central Highlands provinces and places with hydroelectric reservoirs need to make recommendations and give comments on changing the inter-reservoir operation process to better suit the reality. Not only changing words but also pointing out unreasonable things, providing positive solutions to change the way of operating a lake - from passive to proactive. From "racing after the flood" to "going before the flood". The ultimate goal is to protect the safety and peace of the people. Economic benefits cannot stand above human safety.
