The Royal Irrigation Department must release water through the Chao Phraya Dam at a rate not exceeding 2,000 cubic meters per second, which may impact local communities.
On September 26, 2024, news reported that Mr. Dech Lekwichai, the Acting Director General of the Royal Irrigation Department, issued a warning regarding the water situation in the Chao Phraya basin to governors of 11 provinces including Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri, Lopburi, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, and Bangkok.
According to forecasts by the Royal Irrigation Department, by September 28, 2024, the water flow rate at gauge station C.2 in Nakhon Sawan is expected to reach approximately 2,000-2,100 cubic meters per second. Additionally, sideflow is estimated at around 150 cubic meters per second along with water from the Sakraeng River at about 100 cubic meters per second, leading to a total of 2,350 cubic meters per second upstream of the Chao Phraya Dam. The irrigation system has also been allocated 350 cubic meters per second.
Thus, the Royal Irrigation Department must release water from the dam in a controlled manner—stepped up to not exceed 2,000 cubic meters per second—potentially increasing water levels along the riverside by 1-1.50 meters in areas outside the levees such as Khlong Phong Pheng in Ang Thong and Khlong Bang Bhan in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Communities in lower-lying areas might be affected if the upstream water increases, prompting further notices should flow rates exceed 2,000 cubic meters per second.
Currently, the water flow rate at station C.2 is at 1,842 cubic meters per second, with levels at the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat measuring 16.65 meters upstream and 12.82 meters downstream—3.52 meters below the river bank. The dam is currently releasing 1,498 cubic meters per second, which leads to a flow of 1,469 cubic meters per second at the C.3 gauge in Sing Buri.
In preparation for the water situation, the department will actively manage water flow and control releases at the dam to ensure they remain within the specified limits. The department has alerted the 11 provinces in the Chao Phraya basin and related organizations, urging residents along the riverbanks to monitor the situation closely.
This article was rewritten from a Thairath’s news article.
