VietNamNet Bridge - Most of the hydropower dams in the southern part of the central region and Central Highlands are depleted. 

The Ba Ha hydropower dam

There are 40 hydropower works in Gia Lai province alone. But most of the water reservoirs are depleted.

According to Nguyen Dang Ha, deputy director of the Se San Hydropower Development JSC, the water level at Se San 4 Plant’s reservoir is at the height of 210.18 meters, or just 20 cm above the dead water level.

“In previous years, the average water capacity was 330 cubic meters per second. But now it is 120 cubic meters per second only,” he explained.

Most of the hydropower dams in the southern part of the central region and Central Highlands are depleted.

“The plant now runs only for 1-3 hours a day now. The water volume going to the lower course, therefore, is low,” Ha said.

Ta Van Luan, director of Ya Ly Hydropower JSC, said the total electricity output of three hydropower plants run by the company, namely Ya Ly, Plei Krong and Se San 3 was 154 million kwh only, the lowest level in the last many years, because the water reservoirs all have been depleted

Nguyen Tan Triet, deputy director of Buon Kuop Hydropower JSC, also said the water level at Buon Tua Srah Reservoir has been close to the deal level since September 2015.

Buon Tua Srah, located on Krong No River, has the usable capacity of 520 cubic meters. It plays a very important role in supplying water for agriculture production to some localities in the central region.

In Phu Yen province, the water level at Song Ba Ha Hydropower Plant is also just 0.5 meters above the dead water level.

“In such conditions, we cannot think about production and business. We just try to provide water to the lower course, trying to save rice fields from withering,” said Dang Van Tuan, president and CEO of Song Ba Ha Hydropower JSC.

Song Ba Ha and the Song Hinh Hydropower Plants now have to run alternately for each hours a day, to provide water to the lower course areas. 

However, the volume of water discharged is at just the lowest level. Song Ba Ha only runs one power generation unit at the minimum capacity of 120 cubic meters per second, while the designed capacity is 400 cubic meters per second for two units.

Located on the lower course of the river where there is Dak Pi Hao 2, hundreds of hectares of rice fields in Ia Pa district need water.

The Tay Son district people’s authorities in Binh Dinh province reported that 150 hectares of rice fields in the locality would die if water does not come. 

Since December 2015, the An Khe-Kanak Plant has not discharged water, leaving the rice fields in thirst.

Thien Nhien