The Prime Minister has asked local authorities to closely monitor hydropower projects nationwide to ensure the safety of local people.

 Dong Nai 6 and 6A hydropower projects are said to encroach on Cat Tien National Park

Government to evaluate Dong Nai 6 and 6A hydropower plants

The Government Office sent out the PM's decisions on Dong Nai 6, Dong Nai 6A plans. The investor for both projects is the Duc Long Gia Lai Group.

The projects were approved in the national electricity development plant for the 2011-2020 period. However, scientists have said that the projects encroach on Cat Tien National Park, affecting the environment. They recommend that these projects be re-evaluated.

The PM said that authorities must closely monitor all of the new projects even though they were included in national plans.

"Dong Nai 6 and 6A have large capacities and were approved in national plan, but they still need to be strictly evaluated. The ones that don't meet up with requirements will be eliminated." he said.

Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant reservoir remains empty

The PM asked agencies to seek out opinions from both domestic and foreign experts for any problems surrounding Song Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant which experienced a series of earthquakes. In the meantime the plant will not be allowed to store water.

The PM said that investment preparation was done in accordance with the law, but there were mistakes in the construction. "Water leaks have been discovered, and Vietnam Electricity Group should take responsibility for looking into this problem."

He added that the quakes seem not to pose a threat to the construction of the facility. The Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Industry and Trade as well as foreign consultancy firms from Japan and Switzerland also reported that the plant was safe. But to ensure people's safety, the PM asked that no water be stored in the reservoirs pending further evaluations.

Investors were requested to publicly announce the information discovered and guide the locals on how to deal with quakes. They were also asked to compensate people whose homes were damaged from the quakes.

Hydropower projects to be inspected

Recently, a number of other hydropower plants were discovered to have faulty construction or to have adverse effects on environment. To deal with the problems, the PM asked authorities at all levels to make quick inspections of the hydropower projects in their areas.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, after two inspection rounds, they have scrapped 107 plans. The PM requested authorities to conduct further inspections in order to complete the national electricity development plan this year.

Other problems, such as the living conditions of the people who were resettled for these projects and whether investors reforested the land they cleared, were also included in the inspection process.

"If a river has multiple plants, the plants must be synchronized. They must meet the criteria originally set out, especially the requirements on flood control, salinity prevention and water regulation for crops." the PM said.