On the morning of October 7, multiple small and medium-sized hydropower plants in Tuyen Quang and Cao Bang provinces issued emergency notices regarding water discharge operations to ensure the safety of their reservoirs.
In Cao Bang Province, Binh Long Hydropower Plant under Binh Long Renewable Energy Joint Stock Company began discharging water at 3 a.m. on October 7, with a flow rate of 350 cubic meters per second through its spillway.
The reservoir water level at that time reached 208 meters, and is forecast to continue rising as inflows could reach up to 350 cubic meters per second.
According to the notice, Hoa An Commune, Pac Gay Hamlet in Cao Bang Province could experience a water level rise of 0.6 meters, and within about 30 minutes, the discharged water would flow into the Bang Giang River near Hong Viet Bridge.
The plant warned residents living along the De Rao and Bang Giang rivers to urgently move away from low-lying areas for safety.
Bach Dang Hydropower Plant, located Cao Bang Province, is currently discharging water through all three gates with a total flow of 584 cubic meters per second, higher than the peak discharge during storm No. 10 with 389 cubic meters per second.
Authorities warned that this rate is not yet the flood peak, urging downstream residents to remain on high alert.
In Tuyen Quang Province, three hydropower plants also announced water discharge operations on October 7. Specifically, the Thuan Hoa – Ha Giang Hydropower Plant under the Thuan Hoa Ha Giang Hydropower Joint Stock Company began releasing water at 3 p.m. on October 7, with a discharge rate of 395–600 cubic meters per second through both gates and turbine generators.
The move is due to heavy rainfall in the upstream area, which has caused reservoir levels to exceed the safety limit.
Mr. Le Duy Tan, Director of Thuan Hoa Ha Giang Hydropower Joint Stock Company, sent an urgent dispatch to the Tuyen Quang Provincial People’s Committee and relevant departments, requesting local authorities to promptly inform downstream residents to ensure safety.
On the Mien River system, Song Mien 5 Hydropower Company announced that it began releasing water at 11 a.m. on October 7, with an expected flow of 435–705 cubic meters per second through the gates and spillway until the reservoir inflow and turbine outflow are balanced.
At the same time, Song Mien 6 Hydropower Plant under Song Mien 6 Hydropower Joint Stock Company also began releasing water at 11 a.m. on October 7, with a discharge rate between 500–1,000 cubic meters per second. The downstream water level currently stands at 98.55 meters, and the upstream level at 105.5 meters.
According to meteorologists, with rainfall ranging from 100mm to 250mm over the past 24 hours in the upstream basins of the Lo, Gam and Mien rivers, water levels on these rivers will likely continue to rise during the night of October 7 and October 8. This poses a high risk of severe flooding in downstream areas, particularly in Tuyen Quang City, Bac Quang Commune (Tuyen Quang Province), Hoa An (Cao Bang Province) and other communes along the Bang Giang River.
As upstream hydropower plants on the Lo River are releasing water to reduce pressure, water levels of the Red River remain high.
On the morning of October 7, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep signed a directive ordering Tuyen Quang Hydropower Plant, which is one of the four major hydropower plants in the Northern region to close one bottom discharge gate from 12 p.m. on October 7.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep also signed an urgent letter to the People’s Committees of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong, warning of the possibility of extremely large floods on the Cau, Thuong and Luc Nam rivers.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment requested these localities to adopt dyke protection measures and ensure flood defense safety.
