The Thuong Kon Tum hydropower plant, with a capacity of 240 megawatts, has been operating since 2020.
The project stores water upstream of Dak Snghe River, forming a reservoir, spanning seven square kilometers and with a capacity of 145 cubic meters, in Dak Tang and Kak Koi communes of Kon Ray District.
An investigation by the Kon Tum forest protection department revealed that in 2020, the plant, whose main investor is the Vinh Son-Song Hinh Hydropower company, has caused inundations, killing plant life throughout the forest on an area spanning 28 hectares, including 3.3 hectares of clear land.
The affected forest land area is under the management of the Kon Plong Forestry and Kon Ray Forestry companies.
Trees and other plant life are all dried up. Many trees, with diameters spanning 30-60 centimeters, fell after dying.
Trees are dead in an inundated area.
The Kon Tum forest protection department said the tree deaths are the responsibility of units in charge of measuring and mapping out areas that could be covered by water.
A company that specializes in measurement, mapping and remote sensing has conducted inaccurate measurement of data on both digital maps and on-site, causing water to overflow beyond supposed borders, it said.
A Khang, 33, said there are around 50 families in Vi Rin Village. All of them are granted the use of forest in the area, but the hydropower plant has killed large swathes of plant life, including a pine forest that's around 30 years old.
Authorities of Dak Tang Commune have requested compensation for villagers from companies responsible for the issue.
A Bien, 43, said his family used to plant several crops at the edge of the reservoir. But since the water overflows, his plants die.
The reservoir now stores water that expands its supposed border by 10 meters. The Kon Tum forest protection department has launched an investigation into the destruction of forests and has sent documents for the investigation to police.
Regarding the Thuong Kon Tum hydropower plant, government inspectors have said that the plant's main investor has illegally discharged millions of cubic meters of soil and rocks, as well as conducted certain escrow violations. The plant has also been blamed for frequent earthquakes in the area over the past two years.
