At the discussion in the hall on the afternoon of December 8, delegate Nguyen Anh Tri (Hanoi delegation) proposed:
"If the flood discharge causes damage to the people, we must compensate appropriately, if it damages their lives, we must prosecute".
First of all, it is necessary to determine that the implementation of hydropower projects is to create an energy source to serve the living and production needs of the people and develop the economy.
However, along with economic benefits, the hydropower model - especially small hydropower plants - always comes with environmental risks, threatening the safety of residents in the downstream area.
The recent floods in the South Central and Central Highlands provinces show that natural disasters are partly due to natural disasters, the rest are "people's ears".
Reservoir owners discharge floodwater according to the inter-reservoir operation process on the Vu Gia - Thu Bon river basin (185 process), the inter-reservoir operation process of the Ba River - according to Decision 878, dated July 18, 2018.
According to current procedures, reservoirs are allowed to release water through the spillway to ensure the safety of the project. This is a mandatory regulation, but the priority method of "keeping the lake safe first, reducing floods for downstream later" is showing inadequacies.
If the safety of the project is given top priority but not associated with responsibility towards the community, people in the downstream area will always be at the highest risk.
Therefore, to punish or force the hydropower project owner to compensate for damages to the people, it is necessary to adjust or change regulations related to the operation of hydropower projects in accordance with the current climate change and extreme storms.
Regarding the reservoir operation process to ensure safety for downstream, Da Nang has proposed to replace "flood discharge" of hydropower plant with "operating to regulate deep spillway discharge".
This proposal is not an avocation of "discharge of floodwaters", but a change in the way of operation. This is a modern approach, in line with the trend of disaster risk management.
That is, do not wait until the flood starts to release water from the hydroelectric reservoir, but proactively regulate the water before the flood, do not passively follow the flood, leading to flood discharge coinciding with the flood peak.
To release floodwaters that cause property damage, we must compensate, cause damage to people who can bear criminal responsibility, but to handle it, we must have a basis, not with emotions.
To do so, it is necessary to develop and promulgate regulations on the operation of reservoirs scientifically, transparently and to ensure the highest safety.
We cannot let people downstream continue to "pay the price" for technical and legal loopholes.
