Mekong River levels to surge for 7 days as Chinese dam releases water
The level of Mekong River is expected to continue rising for a week as China’s Jing Hong Dam has been releasing water at 1,590 cubic metres per second on average since Monday due to heavy rains, the Office of National Water Resources said on Thursday.
The office’s deputy secretary-general Chayan Muangsong said that from Friday onwards, the level of Mekong River at the Chiang Saen Hydrology Station in Chiang Rai is expected to rise by about 2 metres.
“From the Chiang Khan Hydrology Station in Loei to Khong Jiam Hydrology Station in Ubon Ratchathani, the river’s level is expected to rise by half a metre during the said period,” he said. “However, the estimated level can change depending on the water management policy of Xayaburi Dam in Laos.”
The office has advised people living along the banks of the Mekong in Chiang Rai, Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen and Ubon Ratchathani to monitor weather forecasts and hydrological updates closely and prepare for possible floods in the next seven days.