The Royal Irrigation Department has decided to increase water discharge through the Chao Phraya Dam in Chainat province, from 2,300m3/s to 2,400m3/s, from 10am today, in anticipation of more rain due to the intensification of a monsoon trough and the influence of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which is forecast to make landfall in Vietnam this weekend.
The department said today that it will maintain the discharge rate at 2,400m3/s for now, but offered an assurance that it will try to its utmost to ease the impacts downstream of the dam by also releasing excess water into both sides of the Chao Phraya River through the irrigation canal system.
The department promised to publicly update the water situation in the Chao Phraya River periodically.
According to the department, water flowing into the Chao Phraya River comes from discharges through the Bhumibol, Sirikit, Kwae Noi Bamrung Dan and Pasak Jolasid dams.
The Bhumibol reservoir is now storing 13.462 billion cubic metres of water and is at 97% of its capacity, with space for an additional of 427 million cubic metres.
The reservoir behind the Sirikit Dam is also 97% full and can accommodate an additional 254 million cubic metres, while the Kwae Noi Bamrung reservoir has already exceeded its capacity and cannot accommodate more water. Pasak Jolasid is also full.
Today, the Office of National Water Resources issued a warning of flash floods, landslides and overflows for Friday through Monday in 25 northern, northeastern, eastern, western and southern provinces.
Communities in areas unprotected by flood walls in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Songkhram are advised to brace for high tides between November 6th and 13th.
