ONWR Expects Overflow of Yom will End in a Week

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ONWR Expects Overflow of Yom will End in a Week

 

   

BANGKOK(NNT) - The crisis of the overflowing Yom river in the northern part of Thailand is expected to end by the end of this month as the mass of water is flowing from Sukhothai to Phitsanulok and other provinces.

 

Somkiat Prajumwong, Secretary-General of the Office of National Water Resources or ONWR, revealed that the current flood situation has already passed its peak and started to become lower. It is believed there are still 80 million cubic meters of water covering the area of 73,400 rai in Sukhothai and Phitsanulok that will be completely drained by the end of this month.

 

Most of the flood water is currently being drained and flowing into the major waterway system; the rest will be drained through Nakhon Sawan and will be stored in the Chaopraya Dam in Chai Nat.

 

The Department of Royal Irrigation will divert water to western and eastern waterway systems to store it for agriculture in the lower Chao Phraya River area that is currently experiencing drought conditions.

 

The department will also divert water into reservoirs in Chonburi to be available during next year’s drought.

 

In the long term, local authorities have suggested ONWR dig more holding reservoirs in Sukhothai and Phitsanulok and dredge waterways to store more water.

 

In 2022, the Department of Royal Irrigation will also finish a water diversion canal that will be able to drain 500 cubic meters of water per second between major rivers and waterways.

 

Mr. Somkiat also added that the current amount of water is off the chart, however, it is still not enough to end the drought especially in the lower part of the Chao Phraya river system and in the Northeastern region.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2020-08-27

 

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