The Royal Irrigation Department has started increasing the amount of water discharged from the Chao Phraya dam from 80 cubic metres/second to 120 cubic metres/second into the Chao Phraya river in anticipation of the arrival of northern runoffs.
Suthep Noipairote, the department head, said on Monday that the increased discharge of water through the sluice gates would slightly overflow the banks of Plongpleng canal.
As more rains are expected this week in the northern region, he said there is a good chance that the water level of major dams in the North which include Bhumibol, Sirikit, Kwae Noi and Pasak will increase.
As of September 5, the volumes of water in the four major dams are as follows: Bhumibo, 4,787 million cubic metres with 987 million cubic metres usable; Sirikitl 5,982 million cubic metres with 3,132 million cubic metres usable; Kwae Noi, 383 million cubic metres with 340 million cubic metres usable and Pasak, 315 million cubic metres.
Mr Suthep said rainmaking aircraft fleet based at Hua Hin had been moved to bases in Tak and Chiang Mai to step up rainmaking efforts with an anticipation to add another 800 million cubic metres into the northern dams.
