Central region faces flooding as flow from dam to rise
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Amid large run-offs from North, Chao Phraya to rise by a metre in days
Several provinces in the Central region now face the risk of flooding as the Royal Irrigation Department has decided to release more water from a major dam upstream.
In a move to deal with the large run-offs from the flood-hit North, the department has increased the amount of water released from the Chao Phraya Dam.
This means that the level of water in the lower parts of the Chao Phraya River, especially the part running through Chai Nat province, would rise by a metre within days.
“It is very necessary to release more water now in order to prepare for run-offs in the Lower Chao Phraya River Basin,” the department explained.
Udomsak Khaonoona, the disaster prevention and mitigation chief for Ayutthaya province, said all riverside districts in his province had already been warned of possible flooding.
“The level of Chao Phraya River is still 1.2 metres below the bank, but will probably rise by a metre by Monday,” he said.
He added that water released from Chao Phraya Dam had been increased from 631 cubic metres per second to between 1,300 and 1,400 cubic metres.
Ayutthaya, which is just an hour’s drive from Bangkok, has already seen concrete embankments going up along the riverbank and along the riverside Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
“We are worried that the water level will rise,” a senior official of the Fine Arts Department said.
The Irrigation Office 12 has instructed governors of Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Anthong and Lop Buri provinces to encourage their riverside residents to start moving their belongings to higher ground.
Upstream provinces like Sukhothai have already been struggling with floods, with some zones in the province already under 1.5-metres of water.
Meanwhile, Bandit Inta, the irrigation chief in nearby Phitsanulok province, issued a warning on the risk of Yom River overflowing, with Muang, Phrom Phiram and Bang Rakam districts facing floods.
“It will overflow this weekend,” he said.
The part of Yom River flowing through Bang Rakam district had already hit the 6.62m mark as of press time and was bound to overflow if it hit 7 metres. Yom is an upstream tributary of Chao Phraya River.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecast heavy downpours in several parts of the country, including the North.
