Gia Lai: Difficulties in managing and operating irrigation works during the flood season

(GLO)- The western region of Gia Lai province is entering the peak of the rainy season, which is also the time when irrigation reservoirs store water for production. However, many irrigation works are damaged and degraded in some items, lacking funds for repair, causing difficulties in operation as well as being unsafe.

Many buildings are damaged and degraded.

The western region of the province currently has 352 large, medium and small irrigation works serving irrigation for about 67,000 hectares of crops and providing domestic water for local people.

Landslide at Tan Son reservoir. Photo: Nguyen Diep

Of which, Gia Lai Irrigation Works Exploitation One Member Co., Ltd. (formerly) is the unit managing and exploiting 17 reservoirs and 28 dams currently in the water storage phase.

To ensure dam safety, right from the beginning of the rainy season, the Company has deployed forces to coordinate with relevant authorities to establish inspection teams, review and assess the current state of damage of each project to find solutions to overcome and repair, ensuring safe "flood crossing" for the project as well as the downstream area.

Actual inspections show that many items in the works are damaged and degraded but have not been maintained or repaired in a timely manner, significantly affecting water storage, management and operation during the 2025 flood season.

A typical example is at Ia Ring reservoir (Bo Ngoong commune). After the leakage incident occurred at the end of 2024, it caused subsidence and erosion of the upstream dam slope in the upstream valve tower area of the water intake culvert; damage to the electrical system operating the water intake culvert; erosion and damage to the concrete at the bottom of the culvert corridor; the appearance of leaking and extruding veins at the bottom of the culvert corridor, and damage to the downstream spillway channel... However, up to now, this project has not been assessed, handled, and completely repaired, so it has not been filled with water.

The leak at the Ia Ring reservoir that occurred at the end of 2024 has not yet been completely resolved. Photo: Nguyen Diep

At Tan Son reservoir, the upstream dam slope on the spillway was eroded, seeping through the earth dam on the left side of the dam. At Ia Dreh reservoir, the dam body seepage measurement system was completely damaged, the water intake valve was damaged, the spillway was damaged, the concrete slope was cracked, etc., causing unsafe construction.

At Bien Ho B reservoir, the water intake culvert has water leakage through the vent. At Ia Mlah reservoir, the mechanical items of the water intake culvert are eroded and corroded, the end of the spillway is eroded; some concrete locations are eroded, the Scada system is damaged...

Mr. Phan Phuoc Thien - Deputy Director of Gia Lai Irrigation Works Exploitation One Member Co., Ltd. (former), said: In recent years, along with investing in the construction of new irrigation reservoirs to serve agricultural production and provide domestic water for people in some localities, every year, the unit focuses on reviewing the current status of each project to develop a plan for timely maintenance and repair of urgent items.

However, limited funding has significantly affected the exploitation and operation process. In particular, many irrigation reservoirs in the western part of the province were built and put into use 20-30 years ago, so some items have degraded and damaged.

Faced with the above reality, to ensure safe operation of lakes and dams before and during the flood season, the Company regularly organizes forces to be on duty 24/7 at each project to detect and promptly handle unexpected situations during this flood season.

Overcoming difficulties, ready to respond

For over a month, the weather in the western part of the province has been continuously rainy. Irrigation reservoirs are in the process of actively storing water and opening water to serve production. Currently, the reservoirs have stored water at more than 60% of capacity, some reservoirs have enough water such as Tan Son, Tau Dau 2...

Plei Tho Ga irrigation reservoir stores water for irrigation. Photo: Quang Tan

In recent times, management and exploitation units have proactively coordinated with localities to protect irrigation works during the rainy season, reducing damage caused by natural disasters. However, the sinkhole incident at the upstream roof of Ia Ring reservoir has only been temporarily handled and has not been completely resolved.

This makes the reservoir unable to store water to the normal water level (elevation 689 m). Therefore, during the flood season of 2025, the Ia Ring reservoir cannot actively regulate the amount of flood water through the spillway. When the reservoir water level reaches the spillway threshold, it will flow freely downstream.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Ty - Chairman of the People's Committee of Bo Ngoong Commune - said: Faced with the above situation, the commune has focused on propagating and mobilizing people, aquaculture facilities... to implement measures to temporarily stop rice production in the 2025 winter-spring crop and livestock; move other assets to higher locations to avoid the risk of flooding and drifting...

At the same time, the commune also proactively deployed response measures according to the plan as well as the established natural disaster prevention and control plan; arranged forces to guard, control, guide and support in landslide areas to ensure safety for people.

The management and operation unit coordinated with the People's Committee of Bo Ngoong commune to set up barriers and restrict people and motor vehicles from traveling on Ia Ring dam. Photo: QT

According to Mr. Phan Phuoc Thien - Deputy Director of the Provincial Irrigation Works Exploitation One Member Co., Ltd., in the past time, to ensure the safety of irrigation reservoirs before, during and after the flood season, the unit issued a Plan for prevention, response to natural disasters; established teams to closely and seriously inspect the current status of all works, on-site operations... prepare materials and equipment for natural disaster prevention and response, and be ready to respond if any situation occurs.

Chu Prong Reservoir is in the water storage phase. Photo: Nguyen Diep

“The Company’s current funding comes mainly from contracts with the Department of Agriculture and Environment for irrigation and regular repair costs. Meanwhile, major repair costs; upgrading reservoirs and dams that have been severely damaged after many years of use have not been allocated, affecting the management and operation as well as ensuring the safety of reservoirs and dams.

Therefore, the Company proposes that competent authorities provide financial support to repair and upgrade irrigation reservoirs, promptly ensuring the safety of the works during the flood season this year and the following years," Mr. Thien suggested.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/gia-lai-kho-khan-trong-quan-ly-van-hanh-cong-trinh-thuy-loi-mua-mua-lu-post562585.html