Photo: Residents of Nong Hoi community evacuate today as floodwater rises.
Water in the Ping River at the Nawarat Bridge in Chiang Mai reached 5.25m at 5am this morning, the highest level for 50 years, submerging the downtown area again and making many roads impassable.
This is the second flooding of Chiang Mai’s downtown area in 10 days. Last time the water level in the river only reached 4.93m.
Chang Kran Road and the famous Night Bazaar are under about a metre of floodwater today and the currents are strong. Almost all shops are closed, but a number of hotels remain operational, albeit with fewer guests.
Several public buses are parked at the entrance to the Arkhet bus terminal, which is under deep water, while rail tracks in several sections are closed to trains due to strong currents. Twelve temporary evacuation centres have been opened.
Governor Nirat Pongsitthithavorn said today that Chiang Mai will remain submerged for several days because of continuing heavy rainfall in Chiang Dao and Mae Rim districts, adding more water to the Ping River.
Associate Professor Chuchoke Aryupong, a water management expert at Chiang Mai University, has predicted that another water mass from Chiang Dao district is expected to arrive in the Mueang district at about 1am.
Meanwhile, the Royal Irrigation Department issued an urgent announcement today about the necessity to increase the volume of water being discharged through the Chao Phraya Dam in Chainat to 2,400m3/s, to ease the pressure on the dam’s structure.
Det Lekwichai, the department’s deputy director-general, said that, from October 10th, the volume of water in the Chao Phraya River flowing through Mueang district of Nakhon Sawan is forecast to be between 2,200-2,400m3/s.
Combined with the water from the Sakae Krang River, estimated at 100m3/s, plus 200m3/s of “side flow” of water, he said that a total of 2,800m3/s of water will be flowing into the reservoir.
He assured that the department will manage the discharge of water on step-by-step basis adding, however, that the increased discharge will increase the water level in the Chao Phraya River downstream of the dam by 60-80cm, which will flood some communities and low-lying areas.
The governors of Uthai Thani, Chainat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri, Lop Buri, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and Bangkok have been advised to take precautionary measures to cope with the situation.
