Flood barrier to protect ancient temple in Ayutthaya

AYUTTHAYA, July 18 (TNA) – Flood barriers have been put up against the rising Chao Phraya River to protect an ancient temple and a royal private residence in the ancient temple of Ayutthaya. Officials from the Fine Arts Department set up two-metre flood walls at Wat Chaiwatthanaram and sand bags were placed to reinforce the embankment against torrents of water. The move comes after a flood threat, posed by an increase of water discharge from the Chao Phraya dam in upstream Chai Nat to 1,394 cubic metres per second. More water discharge is expected to continue for the next few days due to high volume of water from the North. As the Chao Phraya River is rising and almost bursting its banks, about 50 soldiers also installed two –metre temporary flood barrier at the Siriyalai Villa, the royal residence, on the other side of the river bank, opposite Wat Chaiwatthanaram. (TNA)