Dams adjust water outflow

Water discharges from major dams are being adjusted to minimise the impact of floods and water overflow in downstream provinces, according to the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR).
The adjustment is being implemented at the dams on the Ping, Wang and Nan rivers, three of the four tributaries of the Chao Phraya River, said ONWR deputy secretary-general Paitoon Kengkarnchang.
Mr Paitoon said dams must maintain a balance between the water inflow and the amounts they release. He said if the dams discharge too much water too fast, the flood situation in downstream provinces could worsen.
He said enough water must also be stored for use during the dry season.
Mr Paitoon said the Bhumibol Dam on the Ping River has reduced its water discharge to one million cubic metres (m³) per day.
The Kew Kor Ma Dam and the Kew Lom Dam in the Wang River basin are maintaining water discharges so as to stabilise water levels in downstream areas.
In the Nan River basin, the Sirikit Dam has dropped its water discharge from 15 million m³ to 10 million m³ a day.
This allows water flowing into the flooded low-lying Bang Rakam field to be efficiently diverted to the Nan River and prevent a rapid surge of floodwater.
In the Yom River basin without a dam, areas ravaged by floods in Phrae and Sukhothai have seen water steadily recede. The water passing through the Yom water station was at a well-managed rate of 497 cubic metres per second (m³/s).