Commenced in October 2025, the reservoir construction project in Si Pa Phìn commune has an expected land and water surface area of 99.8 hectares. Designed with a total capacity of nearly 17 million cubic meters, the project is considered one of the large-scale irrigation works, providing water for agricultural production and afforestation, and regulating water for hydroelectric plants during the dry season. Concurrently, it contributes to forming a natural landscape, opening up potential for eco-tourism development in the area. Up to the current moment, the project has completed nearly 90% of its workload.

Bùi Công Hạnh from Construction and Trading Company No.6 (the construction unit) stated that to ensure the project is put into operation on schedule, the unit has proactively mobilized maximum human resources, vehicles, and machinery to the construction site, focusing on accelerating vital items. Especially as the rainy season approaches, they are making greater efforts, constructing continuously, working overtime and extra shifts, striving to complete the entire project by the end of June 2026.

Along with accelerating the construction progress of reservoir works, the management, operation, and safety assurance of the existing reservoir system are also given special attention.

The Điện Biên Irrigation Management Company Limited is currently managing 13 reservoirs, including Bản Ban, Na Hươm, Sái Lương, Hồng Khếnh, Hồng Sạt, Pe Luông, Bồ Hóng, Huổi Phạ, Pa Khoang, Nậm Ngam - Pú Nhi, Sông Ún, Loọng Luông I, and Nậm Khẩu Hu. To ensure the safety of dam and reservoir works, the company has constantly improved the efficiency of irrigation system operation and maintenance, while closely coordinating with functional agencies to formulate natural disaster prevention and control plans.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Điện Biên Irrigation Management Company Limited Đinh Văn Thủy stated that they always define the task of ensuring reservoir and dam safety as the top priority, especially during the rainy and stormy season. The company has proactively inspected and reviewed all works, formulated response plans for emergency situations, and prepared adequate forces and materials under the “four-on-site” motto.

Currently, there are 18 reservoirs in the province, of which 14 have been put into operation with a total capacity of over 66.8 million cubic meters. In addition, two reservoirs are basically completed and two are under construction with a total design capacity of over 12 million cubic meters. Besides, the province is also deploying the repair and upgrading of three reservoirs, including Pe Luông, Hồng Khếnh, and Na Hươm. The key headworks of these projects are basically completed, ensuring safety during the rainy and flood season, and procedures are being finalized for handover and put into use. The inspection and assessment of the current state of reservoirs are also carried out seriously.

Before the rainy season, units under the Department of Agriculture and Environment evaluated the safety status of irrigation dams and reservoirs ahead of the 2026 rainy and flood season in the province.

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment Nguyễn Văn Tới said that preparing to enter the rainy and flood season, the Department has coordinated with reservoir management and exploitation units and related agencies to organize visual inspections and assessments of the works’ safety status. Through this, damages and shortcomings can be promptly detected to formulate remedial plans, ensuring the highest safety for the reservoir and dam system.

Irrigation works, especially water reservoirs, are of great significance to agricultural and rural development. Repairing and upgrading them not only helps improve irrigation capacity but also extends the life of the works, contributing to ensuring safety for people in downstream areas. Therefore, levels, sectors, and localities have proactively deployed synchronously multiple solutions to minimize potential incidents.

Through inspections, specialized agencies evaluated that several reservoir and dam items require attention, such as: the dam of Sái Lương reservoir shows severe leakage and its intake sluice is heavily damaged; the spillway at Pe Luông reservoir is eroded; the spillway of Pa Khoang reservoir exhibits cracking and holes in the spillway wall; and the regulating valve after the sluice at Nậm Ngam - Pú Nhi reservoir is malfunctioning. These works have all been put under monitoring, with specific handling plans to limit risks.

Proactive and methodical preparation from an early stage in natural disaster prevention and control contributes to protecting property, lives, and stabilizing people’s lives as the rainy and flood season approaches.