HA NOI (VNS)— Water levels in many reservoirs located in the central and Central Highland regions have fallen close to the “dead level” while the ongoing widespread drought continues to hit the area.
Surveys show that water levels in the majority of reservoirs have dropped to between 30-70 per cent of designed capacity, making it difficult to generate power and supply water for lowland areas during the dry season.
Head of the Reservoir Operations Team at A Vuong Hydropower Joint Stock Company Nguyen Minh Hoang said the water level in A Vuong reservoir was just 350m at the end of March, 30m lower than normal and the lowest in the past 37 years.
Ka Nak hydropower plant is another example where the water level is 9.5m lower than the norm.
Deputy head of the Technical Office at Vinh Son-Song Hinh hydropower plant Ngo Minh Hung said the water level in one of the plant’s reservoirs was now just 5.5m above the dead level.
“There will be no more water by mid April if the plant operates at its full capacity,” he said.
Prolonged hot weather from early this year has made it difficult for hydropower plants to store water to generate electricity and provide water for lowland areas to fight the drought.
The water flow running into A Vuong reservoir is just 8.3cu.m per second, equivalent to 46 per cent of the average level in previous years.
The total power generated from the Buon Tua Srah, Buon Kuop and Srepok 3 hydropower plants was just 230.8 million kWh in the first quarter of this year, equivalent to 55 per cent of the same period last year.
Electricity of Viet Nam is working with the General Department of Irrigation and local authorities to discuss ways to release water to meet local farmers’ water demand for production and daily activities.
More than 17,200ha of crops in the south-central region and 51,000ha of crops in the Central Highland region are facing water shortages. — VNS
Đăng ký: VietNam News
