EGAT warns of increased dam water levels due to tropical depression Noru hitting Northeastern region
30 September 2022EGAT opened the Northeastern Water Management Crisis Center to monitor the situation of water levels of its dams. Chi Basin River Committee approved the step-up increase of water release from Ubol Ratana Dam. Sirindhorn Dam gradually opened the gates in response to the rising water dispatch from Chulabhorn Dam to ensure the security of the dams.
Mr. Prasert Intub, Assistant Governor – Renewable Power Plant of Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), said that typhoon Noru weakened into a tropical storm, causing heavy rain in the Northeastern region. On September 29, 2022, the water levels of Ubol Ratana Dam in Khon Kaen Province, Chulabhorn Dam in Chaiyaphum Province, and Sirindhorn Dam in Ubon Ratchathani Province were at the Upper Rule Curve (URC) level, which put them under surveillance. On September 28, 2022, the Chi Basin River Committee approved the increase of water dispatch from Ubol Ratana Dam from 25 to 35 million cubic meters per day. In case of water excess over the storage capacity, the dam would increase the water dispatch to 35-54 million cubic meters per day in a step-up pattern depending on the situation and inflows to lessen the impact on the public. Ubol Ratana Dam has informed of daily water dispatch plan to the concerned provinces and people in all sectors. It has warned the people who live near rivers to be on alert for high water levels.
In addition to Ubol Ratana Dam; Sirindhorn Dam, Chulabhorn Dam, and Huai Kum Dam are affected by the heavy rains with increasing inflows and a tendency to reach the full capacity of reservoirs. As Sirindhorn Dam has an inflow of 225 million cubic meters from the storm, it is required to release water through the spillway on September 29, 2022 with a precautionary warning.
EGAT’s dams in the Northeastern region are expected to increase the water dispatch to make the reservoirs available for the continual inflows from the Noru and the seasonal rainfall. For more information, please visit http://water.egat.co.th or Applications “EGAT Water” and “EGAT One.”
Recently, EGAT units nationwide have provided supports, including 5,000 survival bags and 25,000 bottles of drinking water, to affected people in Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Tak, Nan, Rayong, and Chiang Mai Provinces to get through every crisis with Thais.