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Prolonged drought takes heavy toll on Vietnam’s largest hydropower reservoir

Prolonged drought takes heavy toll on Vietnam’s largest hydropower reservoir

Saturday, June 10, 2023, 11:28 GMT+7
Prolonged drought takes heavy toll on Vietnam’s largest hydropower reservoir
A local man in Muong Lay Town, Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam, is seen walking on the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir bed. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Sweltering temperatures have hit various northern parts of Vietnam, leaving water in the Son La hydropower reservoir, the largest of its kind in the country, reaching critically low levels and thereby putting stress on power generation and supply as well as the livelihoods of local people.

Over the past few days, during which the northwestern region saw temperatures nearly reach 40 degrees Celsius, the Son La and Lai Chau hydropower plants, located in the namesake provinces, respectively, were almost inactive.

The record-low water levels of a downstream area of the Son La hydropower reservoir, the largest of its kind in Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
The record-low water levels of a downstream area of the Son La hydropower reservoir, the largest of its kind in Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Mai Duc Tiep, who is in charge of the Son La hydropower plant’s operations team, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) news that the water levels in the dam hit record low in 13 years, below the dead-pool level of 175 meters.

Six turbines at the plant, which had been operational during the previous extreme hot days, have almost suspended operations these days, Tiep elaborated.

The six turbines of the Son La hydropower plant. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
The six turbines of the Son La hydropower plant. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
An engineer is monitoring the operating system of the Son La hydropower plant. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
An engineer is monitoring the operating system of the Son La hydropower plant. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

In the operation center of the plant, six engineers were highly focusing on monitoring the operating system.

Given the extremely low water levels, they have to check the system every 30 minutes or one hour, instead of two hours as in normal conditions, so as to timely detect abnormal signs, Tiep added.

The water level in the Son La hydropower reservoir reached the record low of 174.9 meters on June 7, 2023, below the dead-pool level of 175 meters. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
The water level in the Son La hydropower reservoir reached the record low of 174.9 meters on June 7, 2023, below the dead-pool level of 175 meters. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Two local men pull their boat at a Da River section running through Muong La Town, Son La Province, northern Vietnam. The low water levels in the river, triggered by a long-term drought, make life tougher for watercraft to sail back and forth. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Two local men pull their boat at a Da River section running through Muong La Town, Son La Province, northern Vietnam. The low water levels in the river, triggered by a long-term drought, make life tougher for watercraft to sail back and forth. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Khuong The Anh, general director at Son La Hydropower Company, which manages and operates the two hydropower plants mentioned above, told Tuoi Tre that since the plants were put into service, this is the first time that they have had to operate their nine turbines below the dead-pool levels.

The company has intensified regular checks on and dispatched more 3-6 engineers to supervise the operations of the turbines.

The bed of the Son La hydropower reservoir section located in Muong Lay Town, Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam is drying up due to a drawn-out drought. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
The bed of the Son La hydropower reservoir section located in Muong Lay Town, Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam is drying up due to a drawn-out drought. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

At the end of the Son La hydropower reservoir in Muong Lay Town of northern Dien Bien Province, where Nam Lay spring and the rivers of Da and Nam Na meet, a vast area of the reservoir bed is drying up. 

Fish farming facilities of the locals, such as boats, floating cabins, rafts, were found lying in the sun on the dried-up reservoir bed, while herds of cattle were grazing there.

Vang Van Vuong, a local inhabitant in the Son La hydropower reservoir area, told Tuoi Tre that as the reservoir is completely dry, people now can walk on its dried-up bed.

When water in the reservoir was ebbing during the same period in previous years, the lowest water levels were some 1-2 meters high, Vuong recalled.

From April this year, water in the reservoir began ebbing quickly. The increasingly dry reservoir has made life tougher for local residents as they suffer declining fish catches, Vuong said.

Vang Van Vuong, a local inhabitant in the Son La hydropower reservoir area, stands next to his family’s lift net on the dried-up reservoir bed. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Vang Van Vuong, a local inhabitant in the Son La hydropower reservoir area, stands next to his family’s lift net on the dried-up reservoir bed. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

Doan Duy Quan, head of the Muong Lay hydrology station in Dien Bien, revealed that the water inflow in the Son La hydropower reservoir section passing through Muong Lay fell 40-50 percent compared to the average seen in recent years.

The water inflow in the year to date reached a maximum of 1,500 cubic meters per second and is a mere 10 cubic meters per second now.

He said the current water level in the Son La reservoir is 175 meters high, lower than the average lowest levels recorded in the previous years by 10-15 meters, adding that the drought is forecast to linger on till the end of this month.

Excavators dredge up stones to clear a downstream section of the Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Excavators dredge up stones to clear a downstream section of the Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
A lift net and two small boats of local residents are aground on the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir bed. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
A lift net and two small boats of local residents are aground on the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir bed. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Local people in Muong Lay Town of northern Dien Bien Province graze their cattle in the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Local people in Muong Lay Town of northern Dien Bien Province graze their cattle in the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Another boat runs aground in the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Another boat runs aground in the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
According to the administration of Muong Lay Town in northern Dien Bien Province, the prolonged drought over the past six months has brought cage fish farming businesses to a halt. In this photo, two cage farms are aground in the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
According to the administration of Muong Lay Town in northern Dien Bien Province, the prolonged drought over the past six months has brought cage fish farming activities to a halt. In this photo, two cage farms are aground in the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
To adapt to the drawn-out drought, the Muong Lay inhabitants grew a rice crop to improve their livelihoods, but sudden floods once destroyed the rice fields. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
To adapt to the drawn-out drought, the Muong Lay inhabitants grew a rice crop to improve their livelihoods, but sudden floods once destroyed the rice fields. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
A local man carries a bag of rice planted in the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
A local man carries a bag of rice planted in the dried-up Son La hydropower reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Ho Van Kien, 62, a Muong Lay native, is unhappy as the drawn-out drought has taken a toll on his cornfield. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre
Ho Van Kien, 62, a Muong Lay native, is unhappy as the drawn-out drought has taken a toll on his cornfield. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

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