People living in areas not protected by the flood wall in Ayutthaya and Ang Thong provinces are advised to prepare for flooding, after the Royal Irrigation Department increased the discharge of water through the Chao Phraya Dam in Sappaya district of Chainat.
According to the department, between 850 and 950 cubic metres of water have been discharged every second since Thursday, to ease pressure on the dam following continuous heavy rain upstream of the reservoir.
The increased rate of discharge will raise the water level in the Chao Phraya River by between 20 and 30cm. This may cause flooding in low-lying areas, such as Khlong Pong Peng in Ang Thong, Bang Ban, Sena and Phak Hai districts of Ayutthaya.
The abbot of Choeng Len Temple, in Tha It sub-district of Nonthaburi, has expressed concern that the temple may flood, because a 75-metre section of the flood wall has collapsed and repairs are yet to be made, despite promises from local authorities.
Meanwhile, Team Group, a collection of experts in water management, logistics and infrastructure, has predicted that La Niña climatic phenomenon is expected to begin to affect Thailand later this month and may last for up to six months, causing an approximately 20% increase in precipitation.
A gale-force five storm, named Maria, is developing in the Pacific Ocean, but it will not impact Thailand as the system is heading towards Japan.
Water experts, in the meantime, point out that riverside flood walls along the Chao Phraya River may protect commercial areas in several provinces from flooding, but they also prevent upstream runoffs from flowing into water retention areas. This results in flooding of low-lying areas outside the flood walls.
