This afternoon, Hoa Binh and Tuyen Quang hydroelectric reservoirs opened the bottom spillway gates.

On the morning of July 16, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development signed Official Dispatch No. 5021 on opening the second bottom spillway gate of Hoa Binh Hydropower Reservoir and one bottom spillway gate of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Reservoir.

The dispatch stated that at 9:00 a.m. on July 16, the upstream water level of Hoa Binh Lake was at 108.67m, the inflow to the lake was 4,456m3/s, the discharge was 3.26m3/s; the upstream water level of Tuyen Quang Lake was at 109.46m, the inflow to the lake was 673m3/s, the discharge was 673m3/s.

To gradually bring the upstream water level in the reservoirs back to the highest water level as prescribed, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development ordered the Director of Hoa Binh Hydropower Company to open another bottom spillway gate of Hoa Binh Hydropower reservoir at 4:00 p.m. on July 16 (a total of 2 bottom spillways will be opened).

At the same time, the Minister also ordered the Director of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Company to open a spillway gate at the bottom of Tuyen Quang Hydropower Reservoir at 4:00 p.m. on July 16.

The two units are required to closely monitor the developments of floods, construction safety, flow to the lake, upstream and downstream water levels of the reservoir, and promptly report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (through the Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention and Control) and relevant agencies as prescribed.

Previously, on June 24, the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control ordered the Director of Hoa Binh Hydropower Company to open a spillway at the bottom of Hoa Binh Lake.