Responding to Storm No. 10: Safe Operation of Irrigation Works

Responding to storm No. 10, on September 27, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued telegram No. 15/CD-TL-ATD on ensuring the safety of irrigation works, preventing flooding and inundation due to heavy rains affected by storm No. 10 (storm BUALOI) in provinces and cities in the Northern region and from Thanh Hoa to Hue.

Illustration photo: The Duyet/VNA

Accordingly, the Director of the Department of Management and Construction of Irrigation Works requested the Directors of the Departments of Agriculture and Environment of the provinces and cities in the Northern region and the provinces from Thanh Hoa to Hue; investors in construction projects of new construction, repair and upgrade of irrigation works in the provinces and cities in the Northern region and from Thanh Hoa to Hue; Directors of units managing and exploiting irrigation works in the provinces and cities in the Northern region and from Thanh Hoa to Hue to proactively deploy solutions to ensure the safety of irrigation works, prevent flooding and inundation due to heavy rains affected by storm No. 10.

To proactively prevent and ensure the safety of irrigation works and prevent flooding, waterlogging, and minimize damage caused by heavy rain, the Department of Irrigation Works Management and Construction requests relevant agencies and units to continue to strictly implement Document No. 05/CD-BCĐ-BNNMT dated September 26, 2025 of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee on proactively responding to storm No. 10.

Units should strengthen close monitoring of hydrometeorological and rain and flood forecast bulletins; continue to inspect and review key irrigation works and risk of incidents to proactively deploy response plans to ensure the safety of the works; pay special attention to the safety of irrigation reservoirs under construction; for important irrigation reservoirs that do not ensure safety, it is necessary to consider limiting or not storing water.

Units proactively organize the operation of reservoirs according to approved operating procedures; reservoirs with flood discharge gates, adjust the reservoir water level to proactively receive floods, ensure absolute safety of the works and do not discharge unusual floods that cause unsafety to downstream areas; strictly implement early warnings for people in downstream areas before reservoirs discharge floods and when there is a risk of incidents. At the same time, identify a specific list of key works, at risk of incidents when there is heavy rain, pay attention to small reservoirs managed by communes; update plans to respond to heavy rains, ensure safety of works in accordance with flood forecasts and the status of works.

Units should specifically demarcate areas at risk of flooding and waterlogging when heavy rains occur; promptly organize thorough buffer drainage if heavy rains are forecasted and promptly operate irrigation works to drain water to minimize damage caused by flooding and waterlogging. For reservoirs with regulating gates, it is necessary to strictly implement specialized hydrometeorological monitoring regimes, calculate water flow to the reservoir, estimate the possibility of increasing the reservoir water level to proactively operate the reservoir to prevent floods safely and store water for production. After the end of the rainy season, it is necessary to re-evaluate the implementation of the operating procedures and gate operation procedures; report to competent authorities for approval of adjustments.

The Department of Irrigation Works Management and Construction recommends organizing a 24/7 duty during periods of rain and floods; arranging permanent personnel at works at risk of incidents; promptly handling unusual situations according to the "four on-site" principle when there are construction incidents. Regularly report on the safety of irrigation works, construction incidents and the operation of irrigation works to prevent and combat floods and waterlogging to the standing unit to ensure the safety of irrigation works and prevent and combat floods and waterlogging of the Department of Irrigation Works Management and Construction.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, from September 27 to September 30, the Northern region and from Quang Tri to Hue will have rainfall ranging from 100mm to 300mm, locally over 400mm; in the Northern Delta region and from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri, rainfall ranging from 200mm to 400mm, locally over 600mm.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/ung-pho-bao-so-10-van-hanh-an-toan-cac-cong-trinh-thuy-loi-20250927123347088.htm