ONWR orders faster water releases from major dams ahead of two storms
ONWR orders faster dam water releases to prepare for storms expected late September and early October, warning of possible Chao Phraya overflow.
The Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) has instructed major dams in the Northeast and Central regions to accelerate water releases to make room for rainwater expected from two storms forecast for late this month and early next month.
The ONWR announced it anticipated one or two storms forming near Thailand in late September or early October, bringing heavy rainfall across the country.
As a precaution, the ONWR convened a meeting of relevant government agencies to prepare for potential large inflows into major river basins in the Northeast and Central regions.
Basin-by-basin plan
The ONWR outlined basin-specific water management measures as follows:
Chi–Mun Basin: Ubolratana Dam is currently at 67% of capacity. The meeting resolved to increase its release rate from 18 million cubic metres per day to 20 million to create more storage space for upstream inflows.
Khong Basin (Northeast): Several reservoirs have reached full or near-full capacity. Huay Luang reservoir is at 100%, Nam Oon at 90%, and Nong Han at 98%. The meeting agreed to increase release rates from these reservoirs.
Chao Phraya Basin: Continuous upstream inflows from northern Thailand have raised the flow through the basin to 2,200 cubic metres per second. The meeting agreed on the following measures:
- Bhumibol Dam: Now at 76% capacity, releasing 10 million cubic metres per day.
- Sirikit Dam: At 87% capacity, maintaining a release rate of 20 million cubic metres per day for at least one week.
- Chao Phraya Dam: Currently releasing water at 2,000 cubic metres per second. If higher release rates become necessary, dam management must first seek ONWR approval three days in advance so downstream residents can be warned of potential flooding.
Monitoring and coordination
ONWR secretary-general Dr Surasee Kittimonthol said the meeting expected the country to be hit by heavy rainfall for many more days. As a result, it resolved to set up a national water management command centre to closely monitor and coordinate the response.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department reported that a strong low-pressure cell in the South China Sea, moving towards the Vietnamese coast, may intensify into a storm. The department said it was closely monitoring whether it could strengthen and affect Thailand.
