Riverside residents along Mekong River brace for overflows

The Office of National Water Resources has advised riverside communities along the Mekong River, from Loei province to Ubon Ratchathani, to brace for possible flooding caused by river overflows from today until Friday.

The office has forecast that the water level in the Mekong River will rise by 0.5 metres over the five-day period, adding that the areas most vulnerable to flooding are Tha Uthen, That Phanom, Ban Paeng and Muang districts in Nakhon Phanom, as well as Don Tan, Muang and Wan Yai districts in Mukdahan.

The water station in Nakhon Phanom has forecast that the Mekong River will peak on Thursday, with the water level rising 0.5 metres above the critical level. In Mukdahan, the peak level is predicted on Friday, at about 0.22 metres above the critical level.

Mukdahan Governor Worayan Boonnarat said the provincial administration has already taken steps to cope with possible flooding in vulnerable areas, particularly at the Indochina Market, where traders have started moving their goods and valuables to higher ground.

He also said those who need help can call the 1784 hotline around the clock.

The governor attributed the rising water level to accumulated heavy rainfall in Laos and in Bueng Kan, Sakhon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom provinces over the past several days.