The ONWR Secretary-General revealed that he is preparing to report the water situation to the Prime Minister this afternoon. Tomorrow, he will set up a frontline water management center in Chiang Rai Province because the amount of water flooding Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai Provinces is still large. It is necessary to quickly drain it. It is expected that the situation will improve within 1 week.
Mr. Surasee Kittimondol, Secretary-General of the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR), said that he will report the water situation and water management guidelines to the Prime Minister this afternoon. Tomorrow, a frontline water management center will be set up in Chiang Rai Province to integrate various agencies to resolve the flooding in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai as soon as possible.
Flash floods and overflows in Chiang Rai and some areas of Chiang Mai were caused by heavy rains of up to 200-300 millimeters within 48 hours, with some areas receiving more than 300 millimeters. This is considered very heavy ra
infall due to the influence of Typhoon Nagi, which dissipated in Laos and became a low-pressure area, but resulted in heavy rain in the upper northern region.
The frontline water management center to be set up in Chiang Rai Province will accelerate the drainage of water from both the Mekong River and the lower areas. The high Mekong River beaches are obstacles that cause slow drainage. Consider installing water pushers. As for the drainage to the lower areas, the entire main river and tributaries will be inspected to see what obstacles are preventing the drainage and will be quickly fixed. It is expected that the flooded water will reach the bank level within 1 week. After that, if there is still flooding in communities and houses, it will be quickly pumped out to alleviate the suffering.
From 13-20 September, the monsoon trough will move down across the lower North, Northeast and Central regions, causing heavy and prolonged rainfall in some areas, including Bangkok and its vicinity. The Chao Phraya River f
rom Nakhon Sawan Province to the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat Province has decreased in volume due to accelerated drainage to the sea, creating space to receive new rain. However, preparations are underway to set up a frontline water management center in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province on 15 September to manage the entire lower Chao Phraya River basin.
It is confirmed that the water from the North that is drained down will not affect the lower Chao Phraya Basin. However, we must prepare for the rain that will fall in the area, including Bangkok and its vicinity. There may be an accumulated rainfall of up to 100 millimeters within 24 hours. When combined with the mid-September, there will be another round of seawater surge, which may cause flooding and water waiting to be drained. Bangkok must prepare for the situation.
Source: Thai News Agency