Worries arise over brimming dams even before start of rainy season

[webfact]

Worries arise over brimming dams even before start of rainy season

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

File photo

 

MANY reservoirs are already brimming with water prior to the predicted “wetter than average” rainy season, while the authorities claimed they had already learnt from past mistakes and prepared in advance to cope with the worrying water situation ahead.

 

The rainy season officially begins in Thailand this week with grim prospects, as the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) data revealed 50 reservoirs across the country were full to more than 80 per cent of capacity. 

 

Meanwhile, the weather forecast from National Hydro Informatics and the Climate Data Centre expected rainfall during this monsoon to be 10 per cent higher than average and at least one to two storms are expected to hit Thailand by the end of the season.

 

The data also revealed another shocking fact: five medium-sized reservoirs had already exceeded their maximum capacity and these dams were ready to overflow at anytime.

 

Somkiat Prajumwong, director-general of the newly established National Water Resources Office, assured that the authorities were prepared for the rainy season, as he had ordered related agencies to carefully inspect reservoirs across the country and draft plans for an emergency water crisis.

 

“As we have found, there are 50 reservoirs that have already reached 80 per cent of storage capacity even before the start of the rainy season. The office has ordered all related agencies such as the RID, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, and the Interior Ministry to drain out the water as much as possible and strengthen the dams to ensure the safety of the reservoirs,” Somkiat said.

 

“We have to act fast and try to reduce the water in all reservoirs to lower than 60 per cent before the full stage of the rainy season.”

 

 

He pointed out that if the reservoirs cannot achieve this goal in time, the National Water Resources Office had already ordered the owner of the reservoirs to set up an emergency protocol to let officers at the project know what to do in the event of a crisis, how to prepare people downstream when the alarm rings and where they should be evacuated to if the dam levels are breached.

 

At least four reservoirs were breached last year, which claimed the lives of many people and caused extensive flooding downstream because the pressure on the reservoir’s capacity from heavy rains caused the dam’s structure to collapse. 

 

Lessons of the past

 

The most famous example last year was of the Huai Zaikamin Reservoir in Sakon Nakhon province where the dam was overwhelmed with heavy rains and destroyed. This caused the entire Sakon Nakhon city to be inundated with deep floodwater within a few hours.

 

Somkiat said water management this year would be better than in the previous year, because it was the first time that the country’s water management policy was under the control of a single agency that had power over all related agencies.

 

“I am sure that under the unified water management plan of the National Water Resources Office, our efficiency to deal with irrigation management and flood prevention will be significantly improved,” he said. 

 

As the agricultural planner for Chao Phraya River Basin, Somkiat said the RID had already irrigated water for the farmers in water retention areas in Phitsanulok’s Bang Rakam district and other water retention fields downstream in Ayutthaya, Singburi and Angthong.

 

That would allow farmers start farming as soon as late as last month and let them harvest their crops before the flood season starts.

“We also listened to people’s complaints about the problems from water management in water retention fields from last year,” Somkiat said.

 

“The office has ordered the RID and the Highway Department to make sure that floodwater in water retention fields will not be too high and cause travel difficulties for the people like in previous years.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30345295

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-14

[canuckamuck]

Somehow I am not swayed by all the assurances. We've had about 15 inches of rain in a month and it is still technically dry season. That's the kind of rain we get in August, not April. I am happy to be living out of the flood plain, but if I didn't I would be getting prepared. 

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The data also revealed another shocking fact: five medium-sized reservoirs had already exceeded their maximum capacity and these dams were ready to overflow at anytime.

thailand can build dams but cannot manage them; obviously highly capable 'officials'

[George Bowman]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

As the agricultural planner for Chao Phraya River Basin, Somkiat said the RID had already irrigated water for the farmers in water retention areas in Phitsanulok’s Bang Rakam district

Our place sits on the bank of the Nan River outside of Phitsanulok. We are high enough that the river has never crested but it has come close. But Mother Nature did take the fishing dock a few years back during a flood.

 

The Thai family has a rice farm in the Bang Rakam district. One year while I was in Bangkok, the wife called and said the rice farms were under 3-4 meters of water. I thought she was crazy. A few months later when I visited the land, one could still see water marks on the trees. My wife was correct.

 

The Naresuan Dam is only about a 10 minute motorcycle ride away. Years ago we asked the officials as to when or why the water was released. Never did receive a definite answer...

Edited May 14, 2018 by missoura

[Cadbury]

Last year, after talking to the frog, the PM made this predictive comment.

“Some areas may (also) be flooded; that is because of the high volume of water"

But have no fear people; rest easy. You are all safe in the arms of a caring Prime Minister.

Back last October PM Prayut used his special powers under Article 44 to set up a new water management office and he assured people that preparations had been made for the flood season (2018). 

As further re-assurance the NCPO announced it had exercised its power to set up the National Water Resource Management Office, which would oversee policy to ensure integrated water management.

See, all fixed!

The PM leading his team into action.

 

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by Cadbury

[bluesofa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"authorities claimed they had already learnt from past mistakes"

 

[Darcula]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“The office has ordered the RID and the Highway Department to make sure that floodwater in water retention fields will not be too high and cause travel difficulties for the people like in previous years.”

 

Yeah, just about wading depth should be okay. I'd say that's about the height of a monkey's arse-cheeks.

 

[Lupatria]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Lessons of the past

I was not aware this ever happened in this country.

[bannork]

http://www.thaiwater.net/web/index.php/en.html

Folks, this is an excellent website for tracking the level of reservoir/dam water over the next few months during the rainy season.

I've never seen Bhumipol  and Sirikit dams so full in May, 57% and 56% respectively. And Bhumipol's capacity is large.

A couple of major monsoon storms and flooding will be inevitable.

 

[sammieuk1]

Sounds like Atlantis time coming man the new submarines.

[1337markus]

Amazing I wish my Toyota fuel tank could hold 103% capacity, less fuel stops!  As if the rain issue is new here, have we not been through floods and droughts in the last decade yet they still have no clues on water management. You couldnt write these stories.

[StefanBBK]

8 minutes ago, 1337markus said:

Amazing I wish my Toyota fuel tank could hold 103% capacity, less fuel stops!  As if the rain issue is new here, have we not been through floods and droughts in the last decade yet they still have no clues on water management. You couldnt write these stories.

Mine holds for sure 103% of factory specifications... :)

[klauskunkel]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Lessons of the past

arai wa?!

Quote

Rocket festival thrills tourists and appeals to gods for rain

 

[happy chappie]

Don't worry big joke is on his way.he sorts everything out.climate change no problem for this guy,he's truly amazing.climate change is here for sure and thailand will feel the full force of it as the water infrastructure has been neglected for way too long.i bet bangkok could do with a Thames barrier but nah sod that we need that submarine.

[Speedo1968]

So, no lessons learned then !?

Still having to order agencies and "owners ? of the reservoirs" to do what they should have been doing / should be doing.

 

Last year the small market town near where I live ( 50km south of Khon Kaen ), has a small river, last year the water rose 5 metres to the road and another 2 -3 metres up the trees.

[Easy Come Easy Go]

I've been talking about this with my gf, well not exactly the OP but related. 
What is Thailand going to do about the elephant in the room, that happens to be the fact that Bangkok is sinking. Not only that, but the capital city has sea levels rising to the South. Within 15-20 years it could literally have constant water in areas that it doesn't have now. 

Typical Thai thinking is not to fix something unless it's broken. There is rarely ever planning and foresight into such things, so who is going to step up and tackle this issue, if anyone? If nobody does, well it looks like the capital city is going to be like a chaotic Venice before long. If Bangkok is submerged, so is the economy of the entire nation. It cannot fund itself on rice and tourism alone, Bangkok is a major hub of business and economy 

[lvr181]

Always re-active, seemingly never pro-active!

 

Start a slow release from dams now in order to mitigate probable overflowing dams later. Not 'rocket science' is it - AKA better a good decision on time than a brilliant decision too late! 

 

Otherwise bring forward the arrival of the submarines - they maybe needed for rescue purposes (I cannot think what else they could be used for).  

 

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by lvr181
Spelling correction

[AlQaholic]

So, there will be rain, and then there will be flooding.....hmmm....when and where have I heard that before?

[newatthis]

16 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

Always re-active, seemingly never pro-active!

 

Start a slow release from dams now in order to mitigate probable overflowing dams later. Not 'rocket science' is it - AKA better a good decision on time than a brilliant decision too late! 

 

Otherwise bring forward the arrival of the submarines - they maybe needed for rescue purposes (I cannot think what else they could be used for).  

 

 

And the amazing part is that they have to be ordered to do this logical thing. Thailand has a wet season every year but these management people have allowed some reservoirs to be 100% full before the start of the wet season. They should have released this water weeks ago,, but NO! Let's leave it until the wet season comes.

Logic: Big storm about a month ago. "Look the roof's leaking badly. We'd better get it fixed." "No, it's OK. The rainy season hasn't started yet."

 

[Lupatria]

The Bangkok administration is well prepared, they already ordered 50.000 signs to be installed at all major roads:

                                                    

[uffe123]

My house near dong muang had fish swimming in my bathroom during the last flood. Get your boat ready as they are not going to let the water reach Bangkok like they did last time. They will sacrifice all the outlying areas of Bangkok, let it flood, only peasants living there. 

[bluesofa]

18 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

So, there will be rain, and then there will be flooding.....hmmm....when and where have I heard that before?

You must have been in the fiction section of the library, reading the bible - Noah's Ark.

 

[lvr181]

6 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

You must have been in the fiction section of the library, reading the bible - Noah's Ark.

 

Don't knock Noah - he was the worlds greatest financier.

 

He floated company when the rest of the world was in liquidation! 

[happy chappie]

I can remember last year that they were so desperate to clear water out of bangkok they lined up a load of ships and tried to push it out to sea.lol.this year they might hand out buckets to the people of bangkok and ask them to take a bucket of water home and flush it down the pan.

[SABloke]

46 minutes ago, newatthis said:

 

Logic: Big storm about a month ago. "Look the roof's leaking badly. We'd better get it fixed." "No, it's OK. The rainy season hasn't started yet."

 

I think it's more like: "Look the roof's leaking badly. We'd better get it fixed." 

*Rain stops*

"Good news! The roof's not leaking anymore. No need to get it fixed"

[lvr181]

19 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

I can remember last year that they were so desperate to clear water out of bangkok they lined up a load of ships and tried to push it out to sea.lol.this year they might hand out buckets to the people of bangkok and ask them to take a bucket of water home and flush it down the pan.

LOS (land of solutions? - I think not). 

Edited May 14, 2018 by lvr181

[natway09]

Good old Thai Visa commentators obviously have all the answers & can make water go uphill.

It is a very complex issue folks & as so much of the plain is at or below sea level making it impossible to pump away should the full moon coincide with a flood.

As to the water being let out of the dams ,,,,, OK do that,,,,, & then it does nor rain much over the rainy season

no water for your shower, then hear the squeals      Dammed if you do dammed if you don't

[wvavin]

You really need an ultimate fool to believe what any government of this country says....LOL

[otherstuff1957]

2 hours ago, bannork said:

http://www.thaiwater.net/web/index.php/en.html

Folks, this is an excellent website for tracking the level of reservoir/dam water over the next few months during the rainy season.

I've never seen Bhumipol  and Sirikit dams so full in May, 57% and 56% respectively. And Bhumipol's capacity is large.

A couple of major monsoon storms and flooding will be inevitable.

 

To put these numbers in perspective, you can click on a link in that page

 

Table of Large Dams

 

Which will link to graphs of dam water levels year by year.  If you compare this year with 2011 - the year of the big floods - ALL of the major dams have more water in them than they did at the same time in 2011. 

 

Stock up on rubber boots and small boats early folks!

[trainman34014]

1 hour ago, Easy Come Easy Go said:

I've been talking about this with my gf, well not exactly the OP but related. 
What is Thailand going to do about the elephant in the room, that happens to be the fact that Bangkok is sinking. Not only that, but the capital city has sea levels rising to the South. Within 15-20 years it could literally have constant water in areas that it doesn't have now. 

Typical Thai thinking is not to fix something unless it's broken. There is rarely ever planning and foresight into such things, so who is going to step up and tackle this issue, if anyone? If nobody does, well it looks like the capital city is going to be like a chaotic Venice before long. If Bangkok is submerged, so is the economy of the entire nation. It cannot fund itself on rice and tourism alone, Bangkok is a major hub of business and economy 

This has been discussed for the past twenty years but nothing has been done.  Thailand is not a proactive country, it is a reactive one and besides, if there is no instant profit to be made from anything then nobody in authority is interested.