On the afternoon of July 28, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued an urgent directive requesting Thac Ba Hydropower Joint Stock Company to open two spillway gates starting at 4 p.m. on the same day.
The move is to ensure the safety of the facility in accordance with the inter-reservoir operation procedures for the Red River basin.
Under the official dispatch signed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep, the ministry explained that the decision to open both spillway gates was based on hydrological data recorded on the morning of July 28, showing an upstream water level of 56.21 meters and an inflow of 490 cubic meters per second. The total discharge downstream was recorded at 413 cubic meters per second.
Alongside that, Thac Ba hydropower plant has been instructed to closely monitor rainfall, flood developments, water flow and upstream and downstream areas to promptly report to the Department of Dike Management and Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.
Following the official dispatch, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment also issued another dispatch requesting the People's Committees of provinces and cities in the downstream areas to promptly notify residents, local authorities, aquaculture facilities, waterway transport operators and riverside infrastructure so that they can proactively prevent risks and ensure absolute safety for both the Thac Ba reservoir infrastructure and downstream areas during its operation.
