VietNamNet Bridge - Deputy Chief of the National Assembly delegation of Da Nang City - Huynh Nghia – has confirmed to report to the National Assembly’s next session the issue related to Dak Mi4 hydropower plant, which did not discharge water to save the downstream region from drought.

 

 

On April 2, in a meeting with the supervisory group of the National Assembly’s Committee of Science, Technology and Environment, Nghia submitted the petition on Dak Mi 4 hydropower plant and said that Da Nang will bring this issue to question the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the next National Assembly session this May.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Da Nang’s Deputy Chair, said, due to dry weather, which has been forecast to last from March through August, the downstream area of Vu Gia River, in Da Nang and Quang Nam province is saline and is in a severe lack of water for agricultural production and daily activities. Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai sent a dispatch to the investor of Dak Mi 4 hydropower plant, asking them to discharge water at the speed of 25 m3 per second to save the region, but this plant did not carry out the instruction properly.

According to Tuan, the Cau Do water plant in Da Nang city now has to take water from the An Trach dam, 8 km from the plant, for process to supply to local residents. This is a temporary solution before of the current drought and saline situation because it is very costly. The local people’s source of fresh water is dependent on the Dak Mi 4 hydropower plant’s water discharge.

"The Law on the Protection of Natural Resources specifies very clearly, when water resources are in problem, water supply must be given for daily life first. The Dak Mi 4 hydropower plant does not discharge water to the Vu Gia River, resulted in the lack of fresh water in the downstream to push salt water, to resist saltwater intrusion," Tuan said.

The Chair of the National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment – Mr. Phan Xuan Dung – told Da Nang to send a specific report on this matter to the committee for consideration, before passing it to the National Assembly Standing Committee.

On March 31, Da Nang held an emergency meeting with the General Department of Irrigation, the Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN) and the officials of Quang Nam province to discuss hydropower reservoirs’ water discharge to save the summer crop in the downstream area of Vu Gia and Thu Bon rivers.

Leaders of the General Department of Irrigation asked the two hydropower plants of Dak Mi 4 and A Vuong to discharge water from May 15-30 to serve the summer- autumn crop on over 11,000 hectares of agricultural land in Da Nang and Quang Nam.

Le Ha