VietNamNet Bridge – Suffering from huge losses from flood caused by water discharged by reservoirs, the Farmers’ Association of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on November 4 met to discuss how to claim compensation from the power sector.

According to the association, the province’s agriculture sector incurred losses worth 23 billion dong ($1.15 million) after the Da Nhim hydro-power plant discharged water in four early days of November.

Vice Chair of Don Duong district, Dinh Ngoc Hung, said that after the Da Nhim Reservoir opened, local farmers lost 640 hectares of vegetable, 188 hectares of rice and thousands of cattle and poultries, totaling around 22 billion dong.

“The power plant and the local authorities have not set up any means for cooperation. If the reservoir is full, it is opened, resulted in floods. If the reservoir is dry, it is opened, resulting in water shortage. Local people are always at a disadvantage,” Hung said.

Tran Duy Viet, Chair of the Lam Dong Farmers’ Association, remarked: “Every rainy season, power plants open reservoirs to protect their assets. Farmers have to bear losses but they are not compensated. Farmers are willing to get loss for the common interest, but they can’t suffer losses forever”.

Viet said that without a means to restrict losses caused by hydro-power plants, farmers will not agree to move their houses to give land for building hydro-power plants.

“Our association will ask the power sector to pay compensation for Lam Dong’s farmers. We have made assessments of losses caused by reservoirs,” Viet said.

Lam Dong presently has 57 hydro-power plants, including eight operating plants.

Deputy director of Lam Dong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mai Nam Duong, said as the topography has changed, Da Nhim reservoir can cause heavy losses for local residents even if it doesn’t discharge large volumes of water.

Director of Lam Dong Department of Justice Nguyen Duc Hung said if reservoirs are opened illegally, the power sector must pay compensation for people. If they open reservoirs legally, they should also discuss with the people and have policies to assist them.

PV