People living downstream of the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams have been advised to use water economically, as the levels in the reservoirs behind the two major dams are steadily falling, due to lack of rainfall upstream.
According to Worapoj Worapong, director of the Bhumibol dam, the water in the reservoir is currently at 49.7% of its full capacity and the dam is discharging about 30 million cubic metres of water downstream for consumption and conservation of the ecological system.
He said the water situation at the reservoir is better than last year, because of the accumulation of water from the previous years.
Meanwhile, at the Sirikit dam in Uttaradit province, the volume of water in the reservoir now stands at 39% of its full capacity, with only 800 million cubic metres available to be discharged downstream. About 15 million cubic metres of water are released downstream each day.
An official attached at the meteorological office in Tak province has expressed concern over a water shortage next year, due to less rainfall this year. It is expected, however, that during the rainy season this year, about 2.6 billion cubic metres of water will flow into the reservoir behind the Bhumibol dam.
