Urgent warning to central provinces over rising river water levels

The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) sent an urgent warning today to the governors of 11 provinces in the Chao Phraya River basin, advising them to brace for rising water levels as the department increases the discharge rate of water through the Chao Phraya Dam to 1,000-1,200m3/s (cubic meter per second).

The department said it checked the water situation in the Chao Phraya River yesterday and discovered that the amount flowing through the C2 station in Nakhon Sawan province was 1,173m3/s and this is expected to increase in the next nine days to around 1,200-1,300m3/s.

There will also be about 300m3/s flowing from tributaries into the Chao Phraya River, raising the flow rate downstream to 1,500-1,600m3/s.

Meanwhile, the department continues to divert 500-550m3/s into the irrigation system on both sides of the Chao Phraya River and this makes it necessary to increase the discharge through the Chao Phraya Dam to 1,000-1,200m3/s.

This may cause the water level in low-lying areas outside the floodwall to rise by 20-60cm, especially in Sena, Phak Hai, Bang Ban, Bang Pa-in, Bang Sai and Mueang districts of Ayutthaya, said the department, adding that the communities protected by the floodwall will not be affected.

It advises people living in riverside, low-lying and outside floodwall protected areas to monitor the water situation closely and be prepared to move their belongings to higher ground.