Floodwater drained into Nan River from three districts
The Royal Irrigation Department is currently draining floodwater from the Thung Bang Rakham water-retention field covering Phitsanulok’s Phrom Piram, Muang and Bang Rakham districts into the Nan River via two irrigation canals at 25.6 million cubic metres a day, an official said on Wednesday.
About 200,000 rai (Bt32,000 hectares) out of the 240,000-rai Thung Bang Rakham remained submerged under 399 million cubic metres of floodwater – the rate which was already down from the peak of 550 million cubic metres on October 25, said Yom-Nan irrigation project director Chamnan Chuthiang.
With two canals namely DR-2.8 and DR-15.8 releasing 25.6 million cubic metres into the Nan River, the flood situation would return to normal by early December, he said.
After that, rice farmers could grow off-season rice paddies as per the drought crop growing plan 2017-2018, he added.
The level of the Nan River passing through Muang Phitsanulok on Wednesday morning was measured at the Ekatossarot Bridge as 2.87 metres – a much lower level from mid-October’s peak of seven meters.
Chamnan said the Third Irrigation Office had managed water releasing to lessen impacts on all areas.
Uttaradit’s Sirikit Dam, currently containing 8.437 billion cubic metres of water (88.72 per cent of capacity), lowered its water release rate to only three million cubic metres per day, he said.
Phitsanulok's Kwai Noi Bumrungdan Dam, currently containing 940 million cubic metres (100.11 per cent of capacity), was releasing water at 5.18 cubic metres per day.