During an inspection of the leaking dam of the Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant in Quang Nam Province, a high-ranking military officer has requested that relevant agencies deal with the leakage soon and put people’s safety above all else.

Major General Nguyen Quy Nhon oversees the leaking dam of the Song Tranh 2 hydropower plant in Quang Nam Province, Photo: Tuoi Tre

Yesterday a working team led by Major General Nguyen Quy Nhon, deputy commander of the Military Zone 5 and head of the Zone’s Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, had a meeting with the dam’s management board and relevant agencies to examine the water leak that has lasted for a week and allegedly originated from some error in the dam’s design.

“Hydropower projects have contributed to the country’s social development, but we must put human safety above everything else. The contractor must report in detail whether any problems have occurred in the construction stage so that proper remedies could be identified,” Nhon said.

He also required that the project’s owner monitor the situation closely and report any new developments related to the safety of the dam. 

The Zone has set up a rescue team and will do its best to support the plant when necessary, Nhon said. 

Vu Duc Toan, deputy director of the Executing Board of the Hydropower Project No. 3, reported to the team that temporary measures have been taken to stop the water leakage, pending an official conclusion about the cause of the leak.

Water that flowed out from many locations on the dam was being transmitted to the dam’s water collection corridor, Toan said.

He also said the board was well-prepared to cope with possible flooding in this year’s rainy and stormy season.

 Experts look at points where water has leaked from the dam's body for since more than a week ago (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

The plant’s reservoir contains as much as 730 million cubic meters of water and, at a height of 180 meters, if the dam is broken, many districts located at its base, including Bac Tra My, Tien Phuoc, Nong Son, Duy Xuyen, and Dien Ban, will suffer great damage, including human life, Nguyen Thanh Quang, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, warned.

Nguyen Minh Tuan, chief of the office of the provincial Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, requested that the plant put staffs on duty around the clock at the dam to detect any abnormal signs. 

Le Anh Tuan, deputy chairman of the Bac Tra My District People’s Committee, said he was waiting for an official report from experts so that the authorities could issue a notice to the public about the current status of the dam.

 Source: Tuoi Tre