Downstream and upper northeastern provinces have been warned to brace for sudden floods as the Ubonrat dam in Khon Kaen will increase its discharge rate to 54 million cubic metres a day from 42 million cu m/d.
Khon Kaen governor Somsak Jangtrakul on Saturday called an urgent meeting with a provincial committee on water management to evaluate conditions after more than 100 million cu m of water flowed into the dam each day.
The dam on Saturday held 2,813.18 million cu m of water, or 115.7% of its holding capacity, said the governor.
The governors of Maha Sarakham, Roi Et and Kalasin provinces also attended the meeting.
Mr Somsak said the panel resolved to increase the rate of discharge to 54 million cu m/d. The new discharge rate took effect at noon today. The water discharge would be gradually increased by 4 million cu m/d, he said.
The dam discharged 42 million cu/m of water on Saturday. It would discharge 46, 50 and 54 million cu m/d from Sunday to Tuesday, respectively.
“The dam’s report shows that since Oct 2, the volume of water flowing into the dam was as much as 1,200 million cu m while only 300 million was discharged. The dam could no longer hold more water. Thus, it has to urgently increase the discharge rate. The Meteorological Department’s upper Northeast office also forecasts that there will be heavy rain between Oct 15 and 18,’’ said the governor.
He has ordered local authorities in all 26 Khon Kaen districts to set aside evacuation areas in the event of sudden flooding. Teams of local officials, soldiers and police would be despatched to evacuate people if the flooding swept through the areas.
Now, the water level in downstream areas of the dam has increased. Warning signs have already been put in areas at risk of flooding, said Mr Somsak.
The higher discharge rate would send huge volumes of water to upper Northeast provinces.
The first inundation would occur in Nam Phong district of Khon Kaen. The water would later flow into Maha Sarakham and other nearby provinces before flowing into the Mekong River in Ubon Ratchathani, said the governor.
The National Hydroinformatics and Climate Data Center also warned on Saturday that 10 dams are either full or overloaded and need to discharge more.
Apart from the Ubonrat dam, they are Kiew Ko Ma in Lampang (114%), Kra Sia in Suphan Buri (106%), Nam Oon in Sakon Nakhon (104%), Kwae Noi Bamrung Dan in Phitsanulok (101%), Nam Pung in Sakon Nakhon (101%), Huai Luang in Udon Thani (101%), Chulabhorn in Chaiyaphum (101%), Thap Salao in Uthai Thani (100%) and Nong Pla Lai in Rayong (100%).
While the Bhumibol (68%) and Sirikit dams (84%) are not discharging now, smaller dams need to empty, such as Kwae Noi (25 million cu m/day), Pasak Cholasit (30 million cu m/d), Kra Siao (950,000 cu m/d) and Thap Salao (2.4 million cu m/d).
In the Northeast, overloaded dams need to discharge a combined 60 million cu m/d.