In the first days of June, the water level of the Da River in the downstream area of Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant increased significantly compared to the beginning of the year.
Many sandbanks and gravel yards that were once exposed in the middle of the river are now flooded again, creating favorable conditions for waterway transport and construction material exploitation.
Records of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters in the downstream area of Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant show that the flow on the Da River has expanded more than in March.
In the areas at the foot of Hoa Binh bridge, Huu Nghi bridge and the alluvial grounds that once floated in the middle of the river are now covered by water.
On the Da River route through Phu Tho province, many sand and gravel transport ships are operating bustlingly. Vehicles easily access wharves and yards, moving conveniently on the route without having to reduce loads or wait for water to rise as before.
Mr. Bui Van Minh - owner of a sand transport ship in Phu Tho - said that at the beginning of the year, when the water level dropped low, many ships had to limit their tonnage to avoid stranding. However, in recent days, rising river water has made transportation more convenient, reducing travel time and improving exploitation efficiency.
“Previously, there were sections where ships had to travel very slowly or wait for the water to rise to pass. Now the channel is clearer, and ships can carry enough designed tonnage, so transportation efficiency has increased significantly,” Mr. Minh said.
Mr. Pham Xuan Quynh (owner of the sand yard at the foot of Huu Nghi bridge) informed that the river water level has clearly increased compared to the end of the dry season.
“According to the experience of people living along the river, the current water level is much higher than in March. Many sandbanks in the middle of the river that used to be walkable are now flooded. Boat travel and fishing activities for people are also more convenient,” Mr. Quynh shared.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung (resident of Hoa Binh ward, Phu Tho province) said that the water level of the Da River is currently significantly higher than at the beginning of the year, when many sandbanks and gravel are clearly visible in the middle of the river.
“Previously, standing on the bridge, you could clearly see alluvial grounds and many shallow sections of the riverbed. In recent days, the water has risen, the flow is wider, and many sandbanks have flooded again. The landscape on the river has also changed quite a lot compared to a few months ago,” Mr. Trung said.
According to reservoir operation data on June 3, Hoa Binh Hydropower reservoir has a water flow to the reservoir reaching 314m3/s. Meanwhile, the total water discharge through the plant is up to 2,757m3/s, nearly 9 times higher than the water flow to the reservoir. The entire amount of water is discharged through power generating units, without discharging through spillways.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Pham Van Vuong - Director of Hoa Binh Hydropower Company - said that from the end of May to now, the plant has been operating to generate electricity at high capacity to meet the increased load demand during the heat wave.
The unit maintains 24/24 hour operation, closely monitoring the equipment status to ensure that the units operate safely, stably and continuously, meeting the mobilization requirements of the national power system," Mr. Vuong said.
According to data from Inland Waterway Maintenance Management Joint Stock Company No. 9, the water level in the downstream area of Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant is currently maintained above 6m, significantly higher than at the beginning of the year when many sandbanks and gravel were clearly exposed in the middle of the river.
