FLOOD PREVENTION
Theera calms fears of dam levels
- Published: 28/01/2012 at 04:06 AM
- Newspaper section: News
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut has played down public fears over high water levels in the country's major dams, promising they will be below 50% of capacity by May 1.
As a result, none of the dams would have to release massive volumes of water in one go and cause flooding in areas downriver, as happened during the flood crisis last year.
Mr Theera said the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) and other agencies have together mapped out a plan to manage water in dams across the country.
The plan will be proposed to the Office of the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management on Feb 23.
For water in major dams that has affected areas in the Chao Phraya River basin, they have agreed levels must be kept at below 50% of their capacity, said Mr Theera.
According to the water management plan just mapped out, by May 1, water in the Bhumibol dam must be about 6,550 million cubic metres, or about 49% of its capacity.
Water in the Sirikit dam meanwhile must be 4,260 million cu/m, or at 45% of its capacity.
Water in the Khwae Noi Bamrung Daen dam must be kept under 350 million cu/m, or 37% of the dam's capacity.
In the Pasak Cholasit dam, the water level should be around 300 million cu/m, or 38% of its capacity.
The water management plan is based on 30 years of rainfall statistics, added Mr Theera.
Yesterday, the total volume of water in medium- and large-sized reservoirs around the country came to more than 60,000 million cu/m, or 81% of their combined capacity. The volume was nearly 10,999 million cu/m higher than the total volume in the dams during the same period last year.
Suthep Noiphairot, deputy director-general of the RID, also said he believed by August, water levels in all dams would be lower than last year because paddy farmers are expected to use more water.
He said this year the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has encouraged rice farmers in the Central Plains to do two seasons of farming and begin the first earlier than last year. Then, the second crop should be done by September.
Narong Thaiprayoon, director of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand responsible for the Bhumibol dam in Tak's Sam Ngao district, said the dam would be able to accommodate an additional 6,500 million cu/m of water from up to four tropical storms between August and October this year.
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About the author
- Writer: Post Reporters
- Position: Reporters
