HECTIC preparation for floods is underway in Nonthaburi province after an alert by the Royal Irrigation Department that the Chao Phraya Dam will be releasing more water from Tuesday to Thursday, August 23-25, Sanook.com said this evening (August 22).
Mr. Somnuk Thanadechakul, mayor of Nonthaburi city, ordered the stacking of sandbags on Chao Phraya River to protect low-lying areas including Pak Nam and Khema Phirataram temples, Sang Thien community, Nonthaburi pier and the Corrections Department, a distance of 10 kilometres, with the sandbag barrier to be around 60 centimetres high.
Mr. Kom Saengbamrung, director of the municipal engineering office, said people living along the river bank are affected by floods every year and aside from stacking up sandbags, bridges have been built and people alerted to move their belongings higher up.
At greatest risk is the Nonthaburi pier area which is densely populated with additional sandbags being placed there.
This move came after Nonthaburi Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Division issued an alert that the Royal Irrigation Department said Chao Phraya Dam will be increasing the discharge rate to 1,500-1,800 cubic metres per second from Tuesday to Thursday with this leading to river water rising by 40-80 cm. If the water level above the dam remains high the discharge rate will be greater than 1,800 cubic metres a second.
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Sandbags being filled and barriers built in Nonthaburi as floods loom this week. Photos: Sanook.com
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