Residents of 11 provinces along banks of Chao Phraya warned of rising water
Royal Irrigation Department says it would speed up release of water from dam
The Royal Irrigation Department has warned people living on the banks of Chao Phraya River in 11 provinces downstream from Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat to prepare for possible overflowing of the river, as the department had to speed up the release of water.
Department acting director-general Dej Lekwichai issued a statement on Saturday to the governors of 11 Chao Phraya basin provinces to warn residents on the river bank to be prepared for rising water.
The 11 provinces are: Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri, Lopburi, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, and Bangkok.
The statement said the department would have to speed up release of water from the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat’s Sanphaya district because flood water from northern provinces had arrived and there could be more rains in the next few days.
Dej warned that the faster rate of water release from the dam could cause the water level of the Chao Phraya downstream to rise by almost one metre and it could affect people living in low-lying areas along the banks of the river.
He said the department expected water flow at the C.2 water measuring station in Muang district of Nakhon Sawan province at the rate of 1,000 cubic metres per second in the next few days. Chao Phraya would also receive 200 cubic metres of water per second from the tributary Sa River.
On Saturday, water was released from the Chao Phraya Dam at the rate of 649 cubic metres per second. The department said it would have to increase the flow to between 700-900 cubic metres per second and the downstream water level would rise from 0.40 to 0.80 metre.
The low-lying areas outside the flood levees could face overflows from the river. They include Klong Phong Pheng in Ang Thong province, Klong Bang Bal, Tambon Hua Wing in Sena district, and Tambon Talad Chid and Tambon Tha Din Daeng in Phak Hai district in Ayutthaya province.
If the department has to speed up the water release to 1,000 cubic metres per second, it would issue another warning, Dej added.
