On the morning of August 6th, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a directive requesting the Hoa Binh Hydropower Company to open the fourth spillway gate.

The dispatch stated: At 7:00 AM on the same day, the upstream water level of Hoa Binh reservoir was at an elevation of 107.82m, the inflow to the reservoir was 9,241 m3/s, and the outflow was 7,144 m3/s.

Following the Prime Minister's directive on the operation of interconnected reservoirs in the Red River basin, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development ordered the Director of Hoa Binh Hydropower Company to open the fourth bottom sluice gate of the Hoa Binh hydropower reservoir at 11:00 AM today.

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From 11:00 AM on August 6th, the Hoa Binh hydroelectric plant opened its fourth spillway gate. Photo: Phong Son

The purpose of opening the bottom sluice gates is to gradually bring the upstream water level of Hoa Binh reservoir back to the highest water level during the main flood season (not exceeding 101m).

To proactively implement preventive measures to ensure the safety of people and property, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requests that provinces downstream of the Hoa Binh hydropower plant immediately notify all levels of government, the public, organizations operating on or along the river, aquaculture facilities, water transport vehicles, and ferry terminals about the flood release; and review and ensure the safety of construction projects and activities related to the extraction, stockpiling, and transshipment of sand and gravel.

At the same time, provinces need to direct relevant agencies and units to coordinate with reservoir owners to implement measures to ensure the safety of curious people who approach the area to watch the flood release.

Previously, the Son La, Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, and Thac Ba hydroelectric reservoirs had opened 9 spillway gates.