1.6m rai of land in 14 provinces inundated: GISTDA
GISTDA reports 1.67m rai flooded in 14 provinces; Pasak Jolasid Dam to boost water release, raising risk of river overflow in Saraburi, Lop Buri, Ayutthaya.
Satellite imagery reveals widespread flooding
Satellite imagery released by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) on Monday showed that 1.67 million rai of land in 14 provinces has been inundated following days of heavy rain.
The images, captured by RADARSAT-2 on Sunday, revealed flooding in provinces across the lower North and Central regions, including Phichit, Nakhon Sawan, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Phitsanulok, Suphan Buri, Phetchabun, Lop Buri, Chainat, Ang Thong, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Uttaradit and Uthai Thani.
GISTDA said most of the flooded areas were farmlands and communities located along riverbanks, as well as roads. The agency said the imagery had been forwarded to relevant government agencies for action.
Pasak Jolasid Dam to increase water release
Meanwhile, the Pasak Jolasid Dam announced plans to increase water discharge from Wednesday, which may cause river overflows in three downstream provinces.
Chupong Isarat, director of the Pasak Jolasid Irrigation Project, said that as of 6am Sunday, the dam reservoir contained 729 million cubic metres of water—about 76% of capacity. Water inflow was measured at 673 cubic metres per second, while discharge was 500 cubic metres per second.
To maintain reservoir levels, the dam will increase the release rate to 650 cubic metres per second from Wednesday.
Areas at risk of overflowing
The higher discharge could raise the Pasak River’s level downstream by 1.5 to 1.8 metres, potentially causing flooding in the following areas:
- Tambon Ton Tan, Sao Hai district, Saraburi
- Tambon Salaeng Phan, Mueang district, Saraburi
- Tambon Kaeng Suaten and Tambon Hin Son, Pattana Nikhom district, Lop Buri
- Wat Satue community, Tha Rua district, Ayutthaya
