Homes evacuated as dams release excess water
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All major dams in Thailand have reached 92 per cent of their full capacity, prompting many to release water, which is forcing evacuations in many areas downstream.
A total of 250 homes in Kamphaeng Phet’s Kosamphee Nakhon district are set for evacuation before noon today, when metre-high flood water released from Bhumibhol Dam is expected to inundate them. Three other districts also face heavy flooding, but farther downstream.
The Interior Ministry is also planning to deal with anticipated flooding in Nakhon Sawan after the release of water from Tak-based Bhumibhol Dam.
The government flood-relief centre has said cooler weather could come earlier than November this year: “Within one or two weeks when the cold wind arrives, and the rain stops,” said permanent secretary Pranai Suwannarat, head of the centre.
Provincial governors in areas of the South at risk of mudslides have been instructed to coordinate with local relief agencies to keep watch on threatened areas and prepare relief efforts in case of emergency. Deputy governors in provinces not affected by flooding have been told to assist their counterparts in flooded provinces if asked.
Lop Buri residents are being cautioned about possible further flooding from a new influx of water while repairs to Bang Chom Sri watergate in Sing Buri are underway.
Repair work is now 40 per cent complete, with rocks in metal nets piled on the edge of the gap where the watergate was broken by strong currents. A gutter in the riverbed has been filled, partially by large rocks.
Flood-affected residents camping along a 5-kilometre road leading to the watergate have been warned to keep clear of trucks transporting rock-filled nets to the site.
Repairs to the Bang Chom Sri watergate are expected to be complete within 10 days, when the flooding situation in Lop Buri and nearby provinces should ease. Repair work on the Phra Ngarm watergate in Sing Buri is 90 per cent complete.
In 19 Northeastern provinces, a flood-relief update says there is renewed risk of flash flooding as a result of heavy rain expected this week. The provinces are in low-lying areas or at the foot of hills or mountains, or by large rivers.
The Cabinet has issued a nine-point flood-management recommendation. It includes immediate drainage, use of vessels to drive water in the Chao Phraya out of estuaries, use of technical indicators and evaluation measures in flood management, urgent assistance to flood victims with help of the military, and long-term flood and water management with public participation.
