Regarding the water level in reservoirs in Dien Bien province, Mr. Vu Xuan Vien - Deputy Director of Dien Bien Irrigation Management Limited Liability Company (Dien Bien Irrigation Company) said that the unit is currently managing and operating 13 reservoirs with a total designed capacity at the average water level of over 66 million m3.
However, according to records until early July 2025, although it is the peak of the rainy season, the water level in most reservoirs is lower than previous years.
"The total capacity of the 13 lakes is more than 50% of the design. Compared to the same period last year, the water level is 4.73 million m3 lower. The main reason is that the total rainfall from the beginning of the year to date is still about 300mm lower than in 2024" - Mr. Vien informed.
The "thirst" for water is clearly seen in large reservoirs, playing an important role in regulating water for the entire area. At Pa Khoang Lake (Muong Phang Commune) - the largest reservoir in the province with a capacity of more than 40 million m3 - the water level is currently only nearly 47% of the capacity, nearly 2 million m3 lower than the same period last year.
Similarly, at Nam Khau Hu lake (Thanh Nua commune), the second largest reservoir in the province with a capacity of over 7.5 million m3, the water level reached nearly 58%, 2.17 million m3 lower than the same period last year. Currently, the lake is directly supplying irrigation water for nearly 30 hectares of double-crop rice and is a source of domestic water for people in the Muong Thanh basin.
However, there are still some small reservoirs that have accumulated water such as Ban Ban Lake (Muong Nha Commune) and Bo Hong Lake (Muong Thanh Ward) both reaching 100% of the designed capacity (1.4 million m3 and 0.3 million m3, respectively).
Other lakes such as Hong Sat (Thanh An commune), Pe Luong (Thanh Nua commune) have a capacity of nearly 80%. According to Mr. Vien, these are mainly lakes with small containers, more than 2 million m3.
Mr. Vien added that although the water level of reservoirs is at an average level, it is to ensure the safety of dams when there is a lot of rain and floods in the area. Dien Bien Irrigation Company regularly inspects important locations of 13 dams. This is to detect early unusual signs such as leakage, subsidence, and slide to take timely measures.
Proactively discharging buffer water through deep sewers, keeping the water level of the lake below the overflow from 0.5m to 1.0m is a priority measure. The work of monitoring and recording the weather situation, rainfall, water level, and flow through the spillway is continuously updated.
To minimize damage caused by natural disasters, the Company has prepared materials, materials, means, and plans and established a Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue, consisting of 17 people.
These are capable and experienced officers, assigned to be on duty 24/7 at reservoirs during the rainy season. At the same time, coordinate with armed forces and local authorities to rescue the dam and evacuate people in the downstream area when the incident occurs.
