Vietnam 's first automatic reservoir monitor started its testing period on July 25 in northern Hung Yen province's Van Giang district.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai spoke at the launching ceremony, emphasising the importance of ensuring the safety and hygiene of reservoirs.

The automatic monitoring system was urgently constructed in order to mitigate harsh effects of floods and storms this year, at Hung Yen and at 2,000 other reservoirs nation-wide.

The deputy PM asked manufacturers to complete the monitor's operating system so that a comprehensive investment plan could be finalised for all the country's reservoirs in the near future.

He also noted that the reservoir monitoring units should be able to share information across a network in order to standardise regulations for flood and storm forecast systems, which could then be followed by businesses building reservoirs.

The system, which was produced and integrated by the military-run telecom group Viettel in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was installed at Xuan Quan drain, an important water drainage system connecting the three northern provinces of Bac Ninh, Hung Yen and Hai Duong.

The system will automatically collect data on the water level, inflow and rainfall, and will promptly convey that information to relevant agencies to aid in flood and storm management.

It would also issue an automatic alert when a parameter exceeds a certain level.

Viettel expects to install the system at 10 major reservoirs in the central region to help cope with the upcoming rainy season. The programme would then be expanded to all reservoirs throughout the country. /.