Dam overruns flood over 10,000 homes in Ayutthaya
More than 10,000 households in Ayutthaya province have been flooded due to water overruns released from the Chao Phraya Dam upstream, local authorities said on Thursday.
Chao Phraya River, Noi River and canals in the ancient city saw increased water levels, resulting in inundations in areas outside the flood embankments.
Eight out of Ayutthaya’s 16 districts were flooded on Thursday, with a total of 10,379 households affected, according to local authorities. The eight affected districts are Sena, Bang Ban, Phak Hai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Bang Sai, Bang Zai, Bang Pahan, and Maha Rat.
Agricultural areas in those districts also have been badly flooded after days of downpours.
The Chao Phraya Dam in Chainat province continued to release a large volume of water on Thursday, at 1,600 cubic metres per second. This resulted in water levels in Chao Phraya River, Noi River and canals in Ayutthaya to increase between 0.20 and 0.80 metre.
Most houses in the riverside areas are raised on stilts – a traditional way of dealing with seasonal flooding in Ayutthaya. But flooding has made everyday life difficult for local residents who need to leave their villages for business, work or school. Many villagers opt to travel by boat instead of car, particularly in badly flooded low-lying areas.
Damrong Kongsombat, a kamnan of Tambon Hua Wiang, said that floodwaters in his cluster of villages were rising every day and that local authorities had started diverting floodwaters into traditional water retention areas.
He said that more than 800 out of about 1,100 households in his tambon have been inundated due mainly to overflowing waterways.
“People’s everyday life has become more difficult. Roads are flooded so travelling to and from the villages is harder. People need to use boat instead of car,” he said.
Ayutthaya, the ancient Siamese capital, is located about 80 kilometres north of Bangkok.
