>> Central Highlands suffers from severe drought
Several tourism companies along the Serepok River in the central highlands province of Dak Lak have complained about the lack of co-operation from local hydropower plants. The plants have not discharged water to the river, which is making it hard to lure tourists.
"While most of visitors to Dak Lak want to go sightseeing on elephants and sail along the Serepok River, but we now can’t provide these tours," the chairman of Ban Don Eco-tourism Company, Nguyen Tru, said.
At present there are six dams built by local hydropower plants on the river, which are affecting its natural flow. This means the river usually runs out of water during the six-month dry season.
Tru revealed that their revenues had dropped by 40% during the last dry season while this year was even worse, with an 80% fall.
Ban Don Eco-tourism Company is among the most heavily affected. The company has been operating around the Thac Bay Nhanh Waterfall in Buon Don District's Ea Huar Commune, which is one of the most beautiful parts of the river for some ten years. They have invested in facilities here, including guest houses and suspension bridges over the many branches which allow tourists to discover several islets on the rivers.
Many festivals featuring gong performances and elephant racing and boat racing used to be held here, attracting lots of tourists.
This year, they can no longer organise such activities.
According to chairman of Dak Lak Province's Tourism Association, Le Hoang Co, the association has worked with some power plants here but they cannot solve the problems now.
"Power plants can only discharge water following directions from the electricity industry," he explained. "They said they would not co-operate with tourism companies."
When the water in this 20-kilometre section of the river is blocked for the Serepok 4A power plant reservoir as planned, the tourism industry here will surely face death.
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