Villagers living downstream of a small earthen dam, in Bang Saphan district of Thailand’s southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, were yesterday advised to move their belongings to higher ground as a precaution against possible flooding of their communities due an unusual discharge of water from the reservoir.

Officials from the Ratchaburi-based Regional 7 water resources office are using an excavator to enlarge the spillway to allow more water to flow out of the Morasuab Reservoir, to ease pressure on the dam, after three leaks were found in the earthen dam wall.

The provincial governor has already been notified of the need to ease pressure on the dam because the reservoir is at 90% capacity, which is beyond the safety level. More water is now being discharged through the 20-metre gap in the earthen wall and it takes about four hours for the water level in the reservoir to fall to a safe level of 60% capacity.

The small reservoir can hold 1.6 million cubic metres of water and, for safety, the water level must not rise above 2 metres below the top of the dam.

The water flows into a natural waterway that passes through Tambon Ban Krud and Tambon Chaikasem in Bang Saphan district.

Governor Pallop Singhamanee said yesterday evening that no communities have, so far, been affected by the increased discharge of water, though the water level in the waterway has risen by about 3cm.