VietNamNet Bridge – When raising the dam elevation by one more meter, the Song Con 2 hydropower plant expects to earn 10 billion dong more a year. However, hundreds of households have shouted for help because they have lost land.

The Song Con 2 hydropower plant had the initially designed water rise level of 278 meters. However, after one year of operation, in late 2011, the board of management decided to raise the dam level by one meter more to help accumulate more water for generating electricity.

The solution has helped increase the volume of water in the reservoir to nearly one million cubic meters, thus bringing 10 billion dong more a year to the plant.

However, the initiative has made 108,000 square meter of agriculture production land in Dong Giang district inundated under the water.

A Ting Son in Ka Dang commune said that his five member family has been living on the gardens and fields. However, since he has lost land, and the gardens have been flooded, they don’t know what to do to earn their living.

A Lang Dieu, the head of But Tua hamlet in Song Kon commune, said that local farmers have left old rice fields for the new ones in higher areas. However, even the fields in the higher areas have also been inundated, which has forced farmers to move further. Meanwhile, the soil there is not good enough for cultivation, which has caused hunger.

Do Tai, Chair of Dong Giang district people committee, has confirmed that the land and farm produce have been inundated since the day the hydropower plant dam elevation was raised.

“260 petitions have been made to the local authorities. It is really a big problem for us,” Tai said.

Meanwhile, the board of management of Song Con 2 hydropower plant still has not made final decision on the plan to compensate local farmers.

“They get 10 billion dong more a year thanks to the higher dam elevation. Meanwhile, they keep reluctant about compensating 4.2 billion dong for the damages caused by them,” he added.

Do Trung Hai, Deputy General Director of Geruco Song Con, the investor of Song Con 2, affirmed that the solution applied by the company has brought high economic efficiency. The initiative is now being considered by the Quang Nam provincial industry and trade department.

Meanwhile, Vo Thi, a senior official of the department, said the department has many times expressed its official opinion about the dam elevation rise. However, he denied the responsibility of the department in the case.

“We are only the state management agency. In principle, the investor needs to hire consultancy firms to implement the project. Consultancy firms must take responsibility in case problems occur with the dam,” he said.

“One cannot find out the problems with naked eyes. In principle, there must be the inspection by consultancy firms,” he added.

Meanwhile, Duong Chi Cong, Director of the Quang Nam provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, said in principle, when investors decide to adjust the design, they must re-write the reports on possible environment impacts and submit them to competent agencies. However, to date, Cong has not received any report on the adjustment in the dam elevation.

Thien Nhien