People struggle to restore production
More than 1.5 months have passed since the historic flood that occurred on December 4, 2025 in communes and wards in the downstream area of Lam Dong province due to Song Quao reservoir discharge, combined with prolonged heavy rain.
Returning to Ham Thuan Bac commune, it is a locality heavily affected due to its location right downstream of Song Quao lake. Many production land along rivers and streams with a dilapidated surface, covered with rocks and waste.
Recorded in Phu Thai village, many people have returned to the fields, starting to improve the soil to replant corn and vegetables. However, the journey to restore production is not easy at all. Many fields are buried by rocks, losing the colored soil layer, and cannot be cultivated without leveling machinery.
Mr. Nguyen Ha Nguyen Thinh's 3.1 sao rice field is an example. The flood brought large rocks, burying almost the entire surface of cultivated land.
To be able to replant corn, Mr. Thinh had to hire a bulldozer to level continuously for two days, then proceed to make beds and plant seedlings. “The cost of soil improvement is very large, but if it is not done, there is no livelihood left,” Mr. Thinh shared.
Going deep into hamlet 4, Phu Thai village, many corn gardens and vegetable gardens have just been sown, the soil is still patchy with rocks and gravel.
People said that for more than a month, they have had to spend tens of millions of VND to level the ground, buy fertilizers and soil improvement drugs before re-production. However, to date, households have not received any support.
Worryingly, many land areas are still heavily covered with rocks, unable to be cleared by human forces. The fertile fields have now become scattered rocky beaches after the flood.
Not only short-term trees, many perennial gardens also suffered heavy damage. Not far away, Mr. Tran Huu Tam's 500-pillar dragon fruit garden was swept away by floodwaters about 1/3 of the pillars.
For more than a month, Mr. Tam has spent a lot of money buying root stimulants and fertilizers, hoping to save the rest of the garden. "If it cannot recover, it is considered losing many years of investment," Mr. Tam said.
Heavy damage, people waiting for support
Previously, according to a report by the People's Committee of Ham Thuan Bac commune, the increase in water flow regulation through the spillway of Binh Thuan Irrigation Works Exploitation One Member Limited Liability Company was one of the reasons for widespread flooding.
Although the locality has deployed rescue and relocation work for people immediately after receiving the flood discharge notice, the level of damage is still particularly serious.
Specifically, the whole commune has 7 houses collapsed, the area of agricultural production damaged is up to 2,029ha. Many livestock and aquatic products died or were swept away by floodwaters. Total damage is estimated at about 50 billion VND. The Commune People's Committee has submitted a report requesting urgent support from higher levels for people to soon stabilize their lives and restore production.
It is known that from November 24, 2025, the People's Committee of Lam Dong province has requested reservoirs to strictly implement operating procedures, ensuring flood prevention capacity and project safety. By November 29, 2025, the Song Quao reservoir operator has notified flood discharge to downstream localities, and then continuously adjusted to increase flow according to the dien bien of heavy rain.
At its peak on the morning of December 4, 2025, Song Quao reservoir discharged floodwater with a flow rate of up to 500 m3/s, causing many downstream localities such as Ham Thuan Bac, Ham Thuan, Ham Liem, Ham Thang... to be deeply flooded, causing serious consequences lasting until today.
More than 1.5 months after the historic flood, the damage figures are no longer on the report but are present every day in the torn fields and families who have not yet been able to restore their livelihoods. The consequences it left behind still weigh heavily on the shoulders of people in the downstream area of Song Quao Lake.
In the context of total damage in localities estimated at hundreds of billions of VND, clarifying the causes of widespread flooding is extremely necessary.
In particular, it is necessary to consider whether there are any inadequacies in the operating process, regulation and increase of flood discharge flow of Song Quao reservoir to promptly adjust and minimize similar damage in the coming time.
