River-side residents and businesses along the Chao Phraya River in Uthai Thani, Sing Buri, Lop Buri, Suphan Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya and Chainat have been advised to brace for possible flooding, as a result of an increase in the amount of water being released through the Chao Phraya Dam in Chainat province.
Water runoff from northern provinces, following heavy rainfall there over the past several weeks, has increased the volume of water in the reservoir, forcing the irrigation office in Chainat to increase the discharge through the dam, from 100 cubic metres/second to 610 cubic metres/second, starting today, to ease the pressure on the dam.
As a result, the office said that the level of water in the Chao Phraya River downstream of the dam may rise by up to 1.2 metres in the next 24 hours.