More than 7,000 households in five communes in central Quang Nam Province's Phuoc Son District have had their transport options limited as rising waters from a new hydropower reservoir submerged local roads.

During the past month the Dak My 4 Hydropower Plant started blocking water flow along the Nuoc Che River to fill its reservoir.

The rising water level submerged roads in the communes of Phuoc Chanh, Phuoc Kim, Phuoc Thanh, Phuoc Loc and Phuoc Cong, forcing people to travel to neighbouring areas by boat.

The district People's Committee has already set up the Nuoc Che Ferry and licensed a motorboat to ferry passengers across the Nuoc Che River.

Tran Hoang Tuan, the licensed boat owner, said that each day he earned about VND500,000-700,000 (US$24-33) thanks to passenger demand for the service.

However, several people have bought boats and been ferrying passengers without licence to do so, said Tuan.

Passengers pay Tuan VND15,000-20,000 ($0.8) to cross the river.

Local resident Nguyen Hai Ha said there used to be a bridge crossing the Nuoc Che River that was used by people from the five communes travelling to Kham Duc Town.

However, as the river's water level rose higher and higher, the bridge was removed as the connecting roads were flooded, he said.

Speaking with Nguoi Lao dong (The Labourer) newspaper, head of the plant construction's management board, Do Xuan Yen, said the project's investors built three bridges crossing the Nuoc Che River to replace the one that was removed, while Phuoc Son District was responsible for opening an alternative road.

He also warned people against travelling in the plant's reservoir zone as rising water levels and obstructions such as submerged trees posed a danger to motorists.

The district People's Committee official Hoang Hoa said that before the power plant built a dam along the river, an alternative road was under construction with an investment of over VND300 billion ($14 million).

However, so far the road had not been completed due to the lack of funding, he said, adding that the road was expected to be finished next June.

Recent rains and flooding in the area caused landslides and muddy roads, making it difficult for local residents to travel around the region.

"Although three new bridges crossing the river were completed already, local residents prefer travelling by boat because it's a shorter trip," he said.

He said that the district authorities inspected the operation of boats on the river and stopped four unlicensed boats.

However, he said illegal boats might still be operating across the river.

The plant, worth approximately $250 million and built by the Viet Nam Urban and Industrial zone Development Investment Corporation, has a power generation capacity of 220 MW.

VNS