On September 24, Ban Ve Hydropower Company (Nghe An province) reported to the authorities on the reservoir operation plan to cut and reduce floods downstream due to the complicated developments of storm No. 9.
Accordingly, from 8:00 a.m. the same day, Ban Ve Hydropower Plant began releasing water with a flow of 400 - 800m3/s, according to the requirements of Official Dispatch No. 931 issued by Nghe An Provincial Civil Defense Command on the afternoon of September 23. The water discharge to lower the lake's water level and welcome a major flood is likely to occur from the afternoon of September 25 to the morning of September 26.
It is forecasted that in the next 24 hours, the water flow to the lake may increase from 250 - 300m3/s to 800m3/s. In case the flow continues to increase by more than 1,000 - 1,200m3/s or the water level at hydrological stations such as Con Cuong and Cho Trang exceeds alert level II, Ban Ve Hydropower Company will adjust the operating regime according to the inter-reservoir process.
In the case where the lake water level reaches 200m, the operating unit must gradually adjust the discharge flow to suit the flood, ensuring the safety of the project and downstream. When hydrometeorological conditions return to normal, the flow to the lake is below 1,000m3/s and there is no longer a risk of heavy rain and floods in the next 10 days, the lake will switch to normal operation.
The Provincial Civil Defense Command requires relevant departments, branches and localities to closely monitor the implementation of operating orders, comply with technical procedures, and ensure safety for people in downstream areas.
The authorities recommend that people in communes along the river and low-lying areas closely monitor official information and proactively plan prevention and relocation when necessary.
At 9:00 p.m. on September 23, the upstream water level of Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir reached 196.2m, the water flow to the reservoir was 274m3/s, while the plant was discharging 320m3/s through the generator.
It is known that storm No. 9 is likely to directly affect from the night of September 24. It is forecasted that from September 25 to 26, the Northern region, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An will have heavy to very heavy rain, rough seas, waves from 4 to 6m high. Ban Ve Hydropower Plant is the largest project in the North Central region, with a capacity of 320MW, a basin of more than 8,700km2, playing an important role in regulating floods and ensuring safety in downstream areas.
