Ubol Ratana Dam to increase discharge, flood downstream areas in Khon Kaen
People living downstream of Ubol Ratana Dam in Khon Kaen have been advised to shift to higher ground as the dam’s water discharge rate will be increased from next week.
Provincial governor Kraisorn Kongchalard said on Saturday that the dam is currently 24 per cent above its optimal level, so increasing the water discharge rate from 41 million cubic metres to 50 million is necessary to prevent any impact on the dam’s structural integrity.
“The areas upstream of the dam have been hit with heavy rain because of the Noru storm since October 2, causing about 187 million cubic metres of water to flow into the dam daily. In comparison, the discharge rate is just 41 million cubic metres per day,” he said.
“Upstream areas in Khon Kaen and Nong Bua Lamphu have been flooded over the past week and we expect flood waters to rise further to about 80 centimetres this week due to continued heavy rain.”
He said over the next five days, the Ubon Ratana Dam is expected to receive another 800 to 1,000 million cubic metres of water. This will add another 1.84 metres to the water level which is 3.01 billion cubic metres now.
“Increasing the water discharge to 50 million cubic metres will cause downstream areas to get flooded. The province has therefore warned people to prepare for evacuation and move their belongings to a higher place. They are also advised to follow the latest updates regularly,” the governor said.
Built in 1964 and managed by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Ubol Ratana Dam or formerly Phong Neeb Dam, is used for electricity generation, irrigation, flood control, transportation, fishery and as a tourist attraction.
