ĐIỆN BIÊN — Nearly 900 irrigation systems in the northern mountainous province of Điện Biên will be reinforced in preparation for the upcoming flood season.

Among those systems are 13 reservoirs, two electrical pumping stations and more than 880 spillways and temporary dams. Two other reservoirs are under construction, including Ảng Cang in Mường Ảng District and Nậm Khẩu Hu in Điện Biên District. Damaged constructions pose severe threats to people who live in downstream or riverside areas.

According to Nguyễn Văn Định, head of Điện Biên Province Department of Water Management, the agency tasked reservoir owners to evaluate the construction’s conditions to draw up plans of flood prevention and resilience. Forest protection and better communication between reservoir owners and local authorities were stressed as essential.

Nguyễn Văn Duyên, director of Điện Biên Irrigation Management Company, told Vietnam News Agency that since April 2018, the company had inspected 12 reservoirs and dams that it reinforced for extreme weather events.

Điện Biên Province has several irrigation systems located in isolated areas which pose difficulties for search and rescue operations. Moreover, some reservoirs such as Bản Ban, Na Hươm and Sái Lượng are inaccessible in the flood season due.

Meanwhile, the breakwater project along Quảng Thái Beach in the central province of Thanh Hoá is being postponed, exposing locals to danger when the storm season approaches.

The project, which was invested with more than VNĐ180 billion (US$7.9 million) and was expected to be completed this month, is currently halted due to slow disbursement.

At the same time, the casuarina forest playing the role of a natural breakwater was completely felled, letting waves directly hit the shore.

Phạm Trung Tuấn, deputy head of Quảng Thái Commune People’s Committee, said that if a powerful storm hit the area, 300 local families would face severe damage.

“Because of the postponed project, the landscape is negatively affected, fishing boats have no place to be moored and local fishing is ruined,” he said. — VNS