A series of dams are in disrepair.
In Thuong Hai village, Gia Pho commune (Huong Khe district), the Cha Cham dam is currently in serious disrepair. This dam was built decades ago to store water to reduce floods and provide irrigation for more than 30 hectares of rice. After many floods, the Cha Cham dam has cracked in many places, causing concern and insecurity for people in the downstream area.
Mr. Nguyen Van Toan (resident of Gia Pho commune) shared: “The rainy and flood season has come. However, Cha Cham dam is seriously degraded. Recently, the government has temporarily reinforced it but it is still not secure. As a household living below the dam, we cannot feel secure.”
Mr. Toan and many households downstream expressed their hope that the government would arrange a solid embankment project for Cha Cham dam so that people could feel secure.
In Ha Linh commune (Huong Khe district), Khe Coi dam is also degraded, causing insecurity. Ha Linh commune authorities have mobilized people to temporarily fix it by driving bamboo poles and using sacks of soil to cover it.
The government has proposed a project to build a solid embankment. According to Mr. Bui Ngoc Du - Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Linh commune, this proposal has been inspected by the working group of the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province for consideration and decision.
In Huong Thuy commune (Huong Khe), Trang dam is also degraded and eroded, many places on the dam body are leaking water, potentially unsafe.
In Huong Son district, Dinh De dam (Son Tay commune), Cao Thang dam, Quat dam (Son Giang commune) are also degraded. In Vu Quang, Ky Anh, Cam Xuyen districts... there are also a number of lakes and dams degraded.
Temporary reinforcement
On September 10, Mr. Phan Ky - Vice Chairman of Huong Khe District People's Committee - informed that there are currently 7 degraded lakes and dams in Huong Khe District. Recently, the district has conducted an inspection. After the inspection, the district has directed the commune-level authorities to mobilize human resources and materials to carry out temporary repairs and reinforcements to ensure immediate safety during this flood season.
"For large-capacity reservoirs with severely degraded banks and dams, we have directed localities and units not to store water or to store water at a low level to ensure safety when the flood season comes," said Mr. Ky.
Mr. Tran Duc Thinh - Manager of Ha Tinh Irrigation Branch - said that Ha Tinh province has 51 degraded lakes and dams that need investment, upgrading and repair. However, due to budget constraints, localities need to proactively temporarily repair degraded lakes and dams, while limiting water storage in degraded structures that pose potential safety risks.
