Environment Ministry inspectors fined Ho Ho Hydropower plant in central provinces of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh for violations in water resource management, a ministry official confirmed yesterday at a press conference.

Ho Ho hydropower plant

Head of the ministry’s Water Resource Management Department Hoang Van Bay said that the plant was fined over VNĐ115 million (US$5,100) for five violations.

The plant had no annual plan to adjust water from its reservoir, was not reporting on the reservoir’s operation and not following regulations on water resource observation.

In October, the plant released water, causing caused intensive flooding in central Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces.

According to a Ministry of Industry and Trade report, water was released by the Ho Ho power plant from 5.30pm on October 14 to 2am the next day, with a capacity of 192cu.m. per second, increasing the water level in lowland areas.

Torrential rainfall in these provinces at the same time as the release caused floods and submerged thousands of houses.

The plant, located between Ha Tinh and Quang Bình, was put into operation in 2010. It has power of 14 megawatt and reservoir capacity of 38 million cu.m. 

VNS