Ministry of Industry and Trade issues urgent dispatch: Ensure safety of dams, reservoirs and adequate supply of essential goods to serve people

On October 7, the Minister of Industry and Trade sent a telegram to localities and relevant units on the issue of focusing on responding to heavy rain, landslides, and flash floods caused by storm No. 11.

Due to widespread prolonged rain and floods and hydropower plants regularly releasing water to ensure the safety of lakes and dams, some key areas of Cao Bang province have been deeply flooded, flash floods, landslides, seriously affecting people's lives and property. Authorities have urgently assisted people in moving people and property to safety. Photo: Chu Hieu/VNA

Accordingly, due to the influence of storm No. 11, on the night of October 6 and early morning of October 7, the Northern region and Thanh Hoa had moderate rain, heavy rain, and very heavy rain in some places; especially in Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Hanoi and Thanh Hoa, there was heavy to very heavy rain. The rainfall from 7:00 p.m. on October 6 to 6:00 a.m. on October 7 was locally over 200 mm in some places, such as: Hoa Thuong station (Thai Nguyen) 437.6 mm, Bo Ha station (Bac Ninh) 250.4 mm...

It is forecasted that from October 7 to 10, floods on Cau River, Thuong River, Luc Nam River and rivers in Cao Bang, Lang Son Province and other rivers in the North will continue to rise. The flood peak on Cau River, Thuong River, Luc Nam River will exceed alert level 3 (possibility of exceptionally large floods on these rivers); rivers in Lang Son, Cao Bang, Quang Ninh Provinces will rise to alert level 2, alert level 3 and above alert level 3; Thao River (Lao Cai), Lo River (Tuyen Quang) will rise to alert level 1, alert level 2 and above alert level 2; floods reaching Hoa Binh Lake, Hoang Long River (Ninh Binh), and the downstream of the Red River in Hanoi will rise above alert level 1. There is a high risk of flooding in low-lying areas along rivers and urban areas in the North; and a risk of flash floods and landslides on steep slopes in mountainous areas of the North.

Implementing the Official Dispatch No. 13/CD-BCĐ-BNNMT dated October 7, 2025 of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee and the Prime Minister, to proactively respond to the complicated developments of rain and floods caused by the circulation of storm No. 11, minimizing damage to people's lives and property of the State and people, following the urgent Official Dispatches issued, the Minister of Industry and Trade requests units in the Industry and Trade sector to seriously implement the following contents: Departments of Industry and Trade of provinces and cities continue to strictly implement the contents of the Official Dispatches issued by the National Civil Defense Steering Committee, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Industry and Trade.

At the same time, direct local hydropower dam owners to deploy plans to protect dams and hydropower reservoirs approved by competent authorities; arrange forces, materials, machinery and equipment to be ready to respond and overcome incidents; strictly implement reservoir operation procedures approved by competent authorities; strengthen the installation of monitoring and supervision systems, provide data to functional units according to regulations, and provide warning information to ensure downstream safety when releasing floodwaters; ensure scientific operation and absolute safety for works, contributing to reducing floods downstream, closely coordinate with local authorities to provide timely information and ensure safety for people, especially in emergency flood discharge situations.

The Departments of Industry and Trade shall strengthen the direction of power units, mineral exploitation and processing units and industrial production establishments in the management areas to deploy safety assurance work and response plans for all natural disaster situations. Strengthen the inspection and supervision of the safe operation of dams and hydroelectric reservoirs, promptly advise the People's Committees of provinces and cities to absolutely not allow water storage in reservoirs that do not ensure safety.

Urgently review deeply flooded areas along rivers and streams, areas at risk of flash floods, landslides, and areas at risk of being cut off and isolated to promptly have specific plans to reserve goods, ensuring the supply of essential goods, especially food, drinking water, and necessities to serve the people, especially households in cut off and isolated areas.

Do not let there be a shortage of essential goods to serve the people. Direct market management forces in localities to strengthen market inspection and control, promptly detect and strictly handle violations of the law in commercial activities; prevent and promptly handle acts of taking advantage of natural disasters to speculate, hoard goods, unreasonably increase prices, and make illegal profits, especially for corrugated iron, roofing sheets, construction materials, and essential consumer goods of the people...

Some landslides pose a safety risk to people in Ngoa village, Yen Phu commune, Tuyen Quang province. Photo: Thanh Phuc/VNA

Regarding Vietnam Electricity Group, the Minister of Industry and Trade requested this unit to direct local power units and hydropower dam owners under its centralized management to prepare sufficient human resources, materials, means, and logistics to respond to the developments of floods and rains, strengthen inspection and self-inspection of power grid projects and hydropower dams to ensure safe and stable power supply, especially for important loads, and prepare all plans to restore power as soon as possible to areas that may have incidents due to the impact of floods and rains.

Direct units managing and operating hydropower projects under their management to fully implement the requirements in this Official Dispatch. Coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade of provinces and cities to direct and inspect the implementation of measures to ensure the safety of dams and hydropower reservoirs, especially key dams in the Red River basin.

Other units in the Industry and Trade sector focus on directing and organizing inspections and supervision of safety assurance and natural disaster prevention for production and business establishments under their management, especially construction works in areas at risk of flash floods, landslides, and low-lying areas, in order to promptly direct the overcoming of limitations and shortcomings to ensure safety for people and works.

Direct units under their management to mobilize maximum resources, means and materials to be ready to respond to natural disasters; closely monitor weather forecasts, rain, floods and landslides to proactively deploy safety measures. Closely monitor the developments of rain and floods in the coming time from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting to promptly direct and urge disaster prevention work at facilities under their management, ensure safety for people and key works, prepare resources, means and materials to promptly handle situations caused by natural disasters, and quickly restore production.

For the National Power System and Electricity Market Operation Company, it is necessary to establish a method of operating the national power system, mobilizing reasonable power sources so that the national power system operates safely and continuously, ensuring adequate power supply for the country's economic development and people's living needs in a reserve direction.

Closely coordinate with the units managing and operating hydroelectric reservoirs to update the actual hydrological situation, flood situation and requirements of competent authorities, ensuring power generation efficiency; plan to regulate hydroelectric reservoirs to ensure compliance with inter-reservoir and single-reservoir operating procedures and instructions of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee, Civil Defense Command Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities.

Coordinate with relevant units to optimize the operation mode of the power plant and grid, limit the risk of grid failure and generator failure. Regularly check the emergency response system, self-contained power source, SCADA system and communication to be ready to respond to the operation of the power system and the electricity market in all natural disaster situations.

For hydropower dam owners in provinces and cities, strictly comply with the inter-reservoir and single-reservoir hydropower operation procedures approved by competent authorities, especially when unusual situations arise; operate scientifically, ensure absolute safety for the project, prevent artificial floods, contribute to flood reduction downstream, and pay attention to notify people early before operating flood regulation.

Deploy measures to ensure safety of dams, reservoirs and downstream dams; arrange permanent forces to operate and regulate reservoirs and be ready to handle possible situations.

Regularly check and evaluate the operating status of equipment, flood discharge works, water intake gates... and promptly fix defects (if any); prepare adequate resources, equipment, means, and spare materials to promptly fix incidents and damages caused by natural disasters in the fastest time.

Review and install monitoring, tracking, supervision systems, and provide data to competent authorities as prescribed; review the information system to warn people in downstream areas when releasing floodwaters, ensuring stable operations in all natural disaster situations. Closely coordinate with the Civil Defense Command Committee and local authorities at all levels in the areas affected by the project, including information work on flood regulation and flood discharge warnings, to avoid unfortunate damage.

Requesting units of the Industry and Trade sector to organize 24/24 hours on duty, regularly monitor the developments of rain and floods from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, prepare forces and means to respond to natural disaster situations, focus on directing and organizing the serious implementation of this Dispatch, regularly report information to the Standing Office of the Civil Defense Command of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/bo-cong-thuong-ra-cong-dien-khan-bam-bao-an-toan-dap-ho-chua-va-day-du-hang-hoa-thiet-yeu-phuc-vu-nhan-dan-20251007162944421.htm