The Royal Irrigation Department expects the water level of the Ping River in Mueang Chiang Mai District to reach the banks today. As for Saraphi District, which receives the next water source, the water is currently flooded. Water pumps have been installed to pump water back into the Ping River and to divide it into the Kuang River to reduce the impact on Lamphun Province, which receives water from Saraphi District. However, they are concerned about the water situation in the Yom River Basin, which is still flooding many areas and will flow into the Chao Phraya River Basin.
Mr. Thanet Sombun, Director of the Office of Water Management and Hydrology, Royal Irrigation Department, said that the water level of the Ping River in Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai Province, has gradually decreased. This morning at the water measurement station P.1, Nawarat Bridge, it was 4 meters, which is 20 centimeters lower than the embankment level. It is expected to reach the bank level today. The Office of Water Resourc
es Region 1 is accelerating the drainage of water in the Ping River by lifting the floodgates of various irrigation buildings and continuously collecting water hyacinths that flow with the water.
Water from Mueang Chiang Mai District flows into Saraphi District, Chiang Mai Province, then overflows the banks and floods some areas of Saraphi District, Chiang Mai, such as Nong Phueng Subdistrict. The area that will receive water from Saraphi District, Chiang Mai Province is Umong Subdistrict, Mueang Lamphun District, Lamphun Province. Currently, water pumps have been installed to pump water in Saraphi District back into the Ping River, as well as dividing it into the Kuang River to reduce the impact that will occur on Lamphun City.
It is expected that water from the Kuang River flowing through Mueang Lamphun District will overflow its banks into low-lying areas, with the water level possibly reaching 80 centimeters to 1.50 meters. After that, the Kuang River will flow back into the Ping River again at Ban Sop
Tha, Pa Sang District, Lamphun Province.
The Royal Irrigation Department confirmed that despite the large volume of water in the Ping River flooding Chiang Mai Province, the Bhumibol Dam in Tak Province can handle it all. Currently, the Bhumibol Dam has 9,321 million cubic meters of water, or 69 percent of its capacity, which can handle another 4,140 million cubic meters.
Mr. Thanet said another area of ??concern is the Yom River Basin. Although there is no more water from Phayao and Phrae provinces, which are the upstream, there is water from the rain that fell in the west of Sukhothai Province flowing down to join it, causing many areas to still overflow the banks. The Royal Irrigation Department manages water by dividing it into the irrigation system so that the Yom River flowing through Sukhothai City does not exceed its capacity. Water from the Yom River Basin will then flow into the Chao Phraya River Basin.
Source: Thai News Agency