A sand-bagged floodwall has been erected along the Yom River in the Sawankhalok municipal area in Sukhothai province, as officials brace for the imminent arrival of a mass of water from further upstream, which is threatening further to worsen flooding in low-lying areas.
Municipal officials say that, if the water level in the Yom River reaches the 8-metre marker, floodwater in some municipal areas will not be able to be drained into the river, while overflows from the river will cascade into the municipal and Sawankhalok districts.
To address this problem, officials have placed sandbags in drains, to prevent water from the river from flowing into the municipal area. Massive water pumps have been installed to drain water from farmland into the Yom-Nan canal, which flows into the Nan River in Uttaradit province.
The Yom River originates in the watershed areas in Pong district of Phayao province. It flows downstream into Phrae province before reaching Si Satchanalai and Sawankhalok districts in Sukhothai province. The river then flows further downstream through Phitsanulok and Phichit provinces before merging with the Nan River in Chum Saeng district of Nakhon Sawan province.
