Households forced to evacuate from Điện Biên water power plant area

ĐIỆN BIÊN — All households living in the reservoir of Nậm Núa Hydro-power Plant in northern mountain Điện Biên Province will be forced to evacuate from the area to ensure their safety and the operation of the plant, local authorities have said.

The request was made on Wednesday after the Vietnam News Agency reported that some households had ignored the local authority’s instructions that people evacuate from the reservoir, regardless of whether they had received compensation.

Trịnh Văn Biên, deputy director of Nậm Núa Hydro-power Plant said the plant was built on the Nậm Núa River in Pa Thơm Commune with the capacity of more than 10MW with a total investment capital of over VNĐ320 billion (US$14.08 million).

By now, the plant has produced about 42 million kWh per year, reducing the shortage of power supply of the province.

The project covered 60 hectares of three communes of Pa Thơm, Noong Luống and Sam Mứn. As many as 73 households either living in the reservoir or cultivating land nearby had been given compensation of VNĐ13 billion ($572,000) in total. They were asked to move to higher ground for their safety and the operation of the plant.

Biên said most of the affected households agreed with the level of compensation, and the reservoir began filling in. However, at least five households have not moved out of the area.

Lò Thị Thanh’s family in Noong Luống Commune is among these households. The family had been supported more than VNĐ100 million ($4,400), but continued all daily activities as usual, although the house and their corn field were submerged.

Thanh told Vietnam News Agency that she supported the construction of the project, but could not move as her family members were away from home.

She said she would move in the next ten days.

Quàng Văn Sam, vice chairman of Pa Thơm Commune’s People’s Committee said that the project’s investor followed the regulations of State management agencies, such as informing local authorities of the affected commune months ahead before storing water for the reservoir to avoid property losses.

In late May, the investor sent documents requiring households in the reservoir to stop all agricultural production and promptly evacuate to a higher place as the reservoir would fill with water beginning in the third quarter of this year.

Sam said the committee would continue encouraging households to move in the coming days. – VNS