Water level at Bhumibol and Sirikit dams is critically low

[webfact]

Water level at Bhumibol and Sirikit dams is critically low



BANGKOK: -- The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand EGAT) has urged people of all sectors to use water sparingly pointing out that the volumn of water in the two major dams has dropped to a level of great concern.

EGAT assistant governor Natjaphon Poomwiangsri said Thursday that about 4,351 million cubic metre of water had been released from the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams during the period from last November 1 to April 9 which had exceeded the original estimate of water usage by 1,350 million cubic metre in order to feed the additional second crop cultivation.

The excessive use of water for cultivation has depleted the volumn of water in the two dams so much that the remaining water stored in the dams has dropped to a level of great concern, he said.

The amount of water at Bhumibol dam is estimated at 41 percent of its capacity with only 1766 million cubic metre of usable water while the water at Sirikit dam is estimated at 45 percent of its capacity with 1,427 million cubic metre of usable water.

However, EGAT is required to continue to release water from the two dams for consumption and for other purposes until the end of summer which is due in another month and this further deplete the water volumn in the dams.

Mr Natjaphon said that if there is little rain at the start of the rainy season in May or June, water usage may have a problem that means people will have to start usaing water sparingly now so that there will be enough water to last through the long hot summer.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/water-level-bhumibol-sirikit-dams-critically-low/


-- Thai PBS 2014-04-11

[Robby nz]

However, EGAT is required to continue to release water from the two dams for consumption and for other purposes until the end of summer which is due in another month and this further deplete the water volumn in the dams.

This would account for the CP river here being about a meter and a half above low level.

I assume the 'other purpose' is to prevent salt water incursion into BKK water.

It certainly isn't for irrigation as the local klongs have been closed off and are almost dry.

[MaxLee]

"Water level at Bhumibol and Sirikit dams is critically low"

No worries, in the rainy season, August, September, October and early November the water levels will be filling up again XXXXTREMELY FAST....

[NongKhaiKid]

Yet no level of government from national to grass roots will do anything to stop the criminal waste of water in the coming days but wait until the holidays are over and the pathetic calls for conservation are made.

Sorry to be repetitive about this but Songkran is no longer traditional culture but avoiding unpopular decisions and responsibility is most definitely Thainess.

[PatOngo]

With the amount of water that will be wasted over the next two weeks, all for the sake of FUN, expect the levels to drop even more. Ahhh sanuk mak.

[Tatsujin]

Scrap Songkran, save the water for something useful.

[ginjag]

Scrap Songkran, save the water for something useful.

If there were no more water left for drinking and Thai people were dying of thirst, Songkran would not be cancelled as it would affect tourism revenues.

[ezzra]

I'm going out on a limb here by guessing that after Songkran water level going to even lower..

much lower...

[Bluespunk]

So we should expect flooding next year?

[bigbamboo]

At least they should free up a lot of Plopadop's 350 billion flood prevention scheme dosh.

Unless they re brand it as a drought prevention scheme.

[marko kok prong]

As the article states excessive water use for irrigation;ie growing 2 or 3 rice crops a year,when they already have a huge stockpile of the stuff already,in the past this was not as prevelent,this i think is the main problem,not songkran,think how much water it takes to irrigate a rice paddy.

[allan michaud]

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Scrap Songkran, save the water for something useful.

If there were no more water left for drinking and Thai people were dying of thirst, Songkran would not be cancelled as it would affect tourism revenues.

Maybe there should be a call for a return to the traditional Buddhist ceremony that I understand it is laughably based on, just a little water is splashed by monks I believe... they could all be issued with government approved giant water pistols too.

[MaxLee]

So we should expect flooding next year?

Wrong,... EVERY YEAR!!!! Every year of that same BS of water regulation schemes of storing too much water during the rainy season and sh*****tload flood the rest of Thailand at the cost of Bangkok only Bangkok during Flood season...

[belg]

time for the magical rain making machine to be used invented by some famous person