Bangkok Post

Storms force dam discharge

Four reservoirs come under close watch

- POST REPORTERS

The Nam Un dam in Sakon Nakhon is now holding 102% of its safe maximum capacity, necessitat­ing continued discharge of water downstream with the dam is expected to take more inflow later this week.

Officials said about 4 million cubic metres of water flowed into the dam on Saturday following heavy rain, while the dam is dischargin­g about 5 million cu/m of water per day.

It is necessary for the dam to release as much water as possible — through all channels including the spillway and irrigation canals — to take more inflow as several storms are expected to come before the end of the rainy season, they said.

Nam Un is among the country’s four major dams now under close watch as they are holding water beyond 80% of their capacities. The other three are Srinagarin­dra and Vajiralong­korn dams in Kanchanabu­ri, and the Kaeng Krachan dam in Phetchabur­i province.

For the Kaeng Krachan dam, flood draining is now under control and and flood impacts in Phetchabur­i province had been controlled and curtailed after massive flood draining efforts early this week, as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha visited the province to inspect the area.

Srinagarin­dra and Vajiralong­korn dams are continuing to discharge 66 million cu/m daily combined after reaching 87% and 85% of their storage capacity respective­ly, according to the Royal Irrigation Department (RID).

Vaivij Sangpanitc­h, director of Vajiralong­korn dam, said the 43 million cu/m water has been drained daily, insisting the reservoir would have space to cope with rains expected to come the end of this month.

Prasert Inthab, director of Srinagarin­dra dam, said the draining of over 23 million cu/m daily provided capacity for taking more water by the end of this month.

He said dam officials gave prior notice to the village downstream about water draining and provided assistance for villages that might experience rising water.

Meanwhile, the Thai Meteorolog­ical Department (TMD) said about 60% of Sakon Nakhon province faces the threat of floods from tomorrow until Friday.

People have been warned of heavy rain, flash floods, overflows from streams and landslides.

Residents in the North and Northeast are also warned to expect flash floods and mudslides in the next few days, triggered by a tropical depression hitting Vietnam today.

The depression, with a wind speed of 50 kilometres per hour, will move from the South China Sea to upper Vietnam today and tomorrow, and will cause heavy rain across the northern and northeaste­rn regions of Thailand, according to TMD.

The weather bureau also said a southwest monsoon in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand could cause large waves of between two and four metres in some coastal areas.

Fishermen and boat owners are advised to exercise extreme caution while small boats should stay ashore.

Meanwhile, flash floods from a local mountain range have submerged agricultur­al areas in Phato and Lang Suan districts after Chumphon was battered by five consecutiv­e days of heavy rain.

Locals have been forced to move their belongings to higher ground and evacuate their animals. The extent of damage to farmland is not yet known.

In Kanchanabu­ri, six families in Sangkhla Buri district yesterday urged state agencies to speed up efforts to provide them assistance after their houses were damaged by a landslide caused by heavy rainfall last month.

All of them have been living in temporary accommodat­ion since July 20.

The villagers earlier sought help from Tambon Wang Ka municipali­ty which at the time sent authoritie­s to examine their houses’ condition. However, the municipali­ty has yet to take any further action.

In an update on the general situation, Chayaphol Thitisak, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention, said the flood situation caused by the tropical storm SonTinh has receded.

 ?? CHANAT KATANYU ?? Mist shrouds the rear of the Khun Dan Prakan Chon dam in Nakhon Nayok’s Pak Phli district, where excess water is discharged. Yesterday, the dam held about 163 million cubic metres of water, about 73% of its capacity.
CHANAT KATANYU Mist shrouds the rear of the Khun Dan Prakan Chon dam in Nakhon Nayok’s Pak Phli district, where excess water is discharged. Yesterday, the dam held about 163 million cubic metres of water, about 73% of its capacity.

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