Dam gates open in urgent effort to control flooding

[webfact]

Dam gates open in urgent effort to control flooding

By THE NATION

 

Residents of the Wat Bang Luang community in Pathum Thani’s Sam Khok district yesterday wade through floodwaters that have persisted for about a week. The situation is worsening as the Chao Phraya River is rising due to runoff.

 

THE ROYAL Irrigation Department (RID) started to release water through Chai Nat’s Chao Phraya Dam beyond the rate of 2,000 cubic metres per second yesterday.

 

RID deputy chief Thongplew Kongchan said the department aimed to handle runoff from the north and heavy rainfall by gradually increasing the dam’s water release rate to 2,600 cubic metres per second and keeping it there for a week. 

This would lead to the river level from Chai Nat to Ayutthaya rising by 0.80-1.20 metres over this period, he said.

 

Officials have been told to prepare flood-fighting tools and closely follow the situation in downstream areas so they can provide timely aid to residents. 

 

Yesterday, water running through Nakhon Sawan – which is upstream of the Chao Phraya Dam – was flowing at 2,528 cubic metres per second and was 1.97 metres away from overflowing the river banks, while the dam was releasing water at a rate of 2,188 cubic metres per second. 

 

To lessen the impact on riverside residents, the RID is also diverting water in Nakhon Sawan at a rate of 474 cubic metres per second via irrigation canals into water-retention fields on both sides of the Chao Phraya River, he said. 

 

 

Yesterday, the eastern water-retention fields contained 387.40 million cubic metres of their combined capacity of 437 million cubic metres; and the western side’s fields contained 500.27 million cubic metres out of their combined capacity of 1,077 million cubic metres.

 

In the Pasak River basin area, heavy downpours caused a large deluge of about 42 million cubic metres per day pouring into Lop Buri’s Pasak Jolasid Dam, which yesterday reached 91 per cent of its capacity, or 878 million cubic metres.

 

This prompted the RID to release water at 30 million cubic metres a day, compared to the normal rate of 25 million cubic metres, to boost the balance between the incoming and outgoing water, he said. As a result, the Pasak River rose by 0.30 metres yesterday.

 

Meanwhile, officials raced against time to reinforce two-metre-high flood levees along the Chao Phraya River that run through the heart of Angthong’s Muang district after the water level reached a crisis level yesterday morning.

 

 

According to the deputy mayor of Muang Angthong Municipality, Thanongsak Sriwichian, the water level in front of the provincial hall was 8.33 metres, approaching the banks’ height of 9.32 metres. 

 

Water had started seeping out of the flood embankments along the river bank, he said, and water was passing through the measuring station in front of the provincial hall at the speed of 2,071 cubic metres per second. 

 

Thanongsak said officials were reinforcing the embankments with sandbags and draining the seeped-in water in an attempt to prevent flooding in the government centre and business area in the heart of the province.

 

The rising Chao Phraya had flooded 1,297 houses in five Anthong provincial districts outside the flood embankments, officials said.

 

In Ratchaburi’s Bang Phae district, the 15cm-deep floodwater that affected 100 homes in Tambon Bang Phae for almost a week has now started to become polluted and is sending off a foul smell. Officials yesterday delivered relief bags and inspected the scene to find ways to enable fast drainage.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30328997

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-11

[dinsdale]

"No major flooding this year."? I think there's been major floods ever since these words were uttered.

[patyh]

Time for me to grab some popcorn and see when will they declare that the drought season has started. 

[edwinchester]

'Meanwhile, officials raced against time to reinforce two-metre-high flood levees along the Chao Phraya River that run through the heart of Angthong’s Muang district after the water level reached a crisis level yesterday morning.'

 

If only it were predictable that the rainy season were to be an annual event.

[robblok]

5 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

'Meanwhile, officials raced against time to reinforce two-metre-high flood levees along the Chao Phraya River that run through the heart of Angthong’s Muang district after the water level reached a crisis level yesterday morning.'

 

If only it were predictable that the rainy season were to be an annual event.

Its amazing, every year again. I read now about Ayuttaya and see that its a budget thing.. i mean why not place them there before its too late. 

[Enoon]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Its amazing, every year again. I read now about Ayuttaya and see that its a budget thing.. i mean why not place them there before its too late. 

 

That would be too......"foreign".

 

See the bird fly over the rice paddy, see the fish swim in the pond, see them wait until it's too late.

 

It's what they do.

 

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

They've had 5 years to sort this .

Must be too busy stopping all sanook in LOS to deal with important stuff.

[Denim]

Lot's of rain in the monsoon season. !!!

 

Well I'm blowed. Who would have thought eh ? That must have taken them completely by surprise.

 

Mind you ....there always is and always will be

 

Never mind, there will be a drought in six months time so it all evens out in the end.

[Crossy]

We are on the opposite side of the river from Wat Bang Luang and 2-3km upstream. Villagers have been using boats for the last 3-4 weeks, restaurants now closed due to flooding.

 

The river is rising inexorably about 5-10cm per day despite the adjustments of flow. We are watching closely.

[Thian]

48 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

They've had 5 years to sort this .

Must be too busy stopping all sanook in LOS to deal with important stuff.

And all they did is protecting the heart of BKK (if it works at all)...Not the subs or any other place iirc.

 

Building a watersystem which also can deliver water during droughts isn't done in 5 years but will take 20+ years...they haven't even started and are talking about buying subs now..