At 13h on August 8, the water level at the upper reaches of Thac Ba Lake (Yen Bai Province) was 56.60m, with a flow rate of 912m3/s to the lake and a discharge rate of 1,584m3/s.
In accordance with the procedure for operating interconnected reservoirs on the Red River basin, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development ordered the General Director of Thac Ba Hydropower Joint Stock Company to close the first spillway of Thac Ba Hydropower Plant at 18h on August 8.
Thac Ba Hydropower Joint Stock Company closely monitors the flood and landslide situation, the safety of the project, the flow rate to the lake, and the water level at the upper and lower reaches of the reservoir, and promptly reports to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant agencies as prescribed.
On the same day, August 8, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a document requesting the provinces and cities of Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, and Tuyen Quang to ensure safety downstream when operating Thac Ba Hydropower Plant.
In this regard, to ensure the safety of the project and activities along the river, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requested the People's Committees of the above-mentioned provinces and cities to inform the people, organizations operating on the river, and along the river of the information to take proactive measures to ensure safety and adjust their activities accordingly; not to let people approach areas with a risk of landslides, construction sites, to avoid any unfortunate losses.
At the same time, they should promptly report any unusual situations to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development through the Department of Irrigation and Flood Control and Disaster Prevention.
Earlier, according to a rapid report from the People's Committee of Yen Binh District, Yen Bai Province, from 14h on August 5, Thac Ba Hydropower Plant opened the third spillway according to the dispatch of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
After releasing water through the third spillway with a flow rate of approximately 1,800m3/s, the water level of the Chay River at the lower reaches of Thac Ba Hydropower Plant rose, causing severe damage, flooding 49 houses of local residents.
In addition, 30 wood processing workshops, 1 chopstick production workshop, and 13 animal husbandry enclosures, as well as 47ha of agricultural and forestry land in Thac Ba Town, Vinh Kien, Yen Binh, Han Da, and Dai Minh communes were damaged and affected.
