Vajiralongkorn Dam
Social & Environmental Management
The affected people of 1,860 households in the area of Thong Pha Phum and Sangkhla Buri Districts were provided with new land for living and farming including the compensation payment for their land and assets. The new village was provided with complete infrastructure and public utilities.
Moreover, EGAT gave financial support of 18 million Baht to establish 5 agricultural cooperatives in the new village and gave an initial living expense to the relocated people. Other assistance includes guidance to the new theory of agriculture such as planting winter plants, rubber trees, etc., and aquatic animal resource conservation and utilization.
The objective of Vajiralongkorn Dam project is to develop natural resources for the maximum benefit, both direct and indirect, as follows:
Water for consumption
The dam provides water for consumption and waterworks operation in the areas of Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, and Bangkok Metropolitan.
Mitigation of the impact of saltwater intrusion and industrial wastewater
In the dry season, the saltwater intrusion in the area of the mouth of Mae Klong River negatively affects agricultural land and turns the soil to become saline. Moreover, the area is affected by the industrial wastewater discharged from factories situated along both banks of the river. Therefore, in the dry season, the dam will release more water than usual to prevent the impact of saltwater intrusion and dispel pollution from industrial wastewater in order to protect the environment and ecological system.
Irrigation
The dam has an important role in Mae Klong River Basin Development Project. Water from the dam is diverted into Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkhram, and Samut Sakhon Provinces adding another permanent water source to strengthen the irrigation system of Mae Klong Yai Project and making planting in the dry season possible with more agricultural produce.
Fishery
The reservoir above the dam covering an area of 388 km2 is an important source of aquatic animal breeding which has generated income for villagers living around the reservoir.
Flood relief
Usually, in the rainy season, water in Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai rivers is approximately 3,000 m3 per second. The great amount of water caused an overflow and resulted in a big flood in Mae Klong river basin regularly. After the construction of Srinagarind and Vajiralongkorn Dams, the reservoirs of both dams can store water and relieve the flooding in the area permanently.
Travel and tourism
Having a reservoir, communities around the dam can travel by waterway to bring their products to the market which is a way of income distribution for the locals. For tourism, there are several tourist attractions in the area such as Sai Yoke waterfall, Kreung Kra Via Swamp, Three Pagodas Pass, etc.
Electricity generationา
The water discharged from the dam can be used for various purposes such as consumption, agriculture, prevention of saltwater intrusion and pollution of industrial wastewater, as well as for electricity generation. In electricity generation, the hydropower plant with a generating capacity of 300,000 kW can generate average annual electricity of 777 million kWh.