Four districts of Ayutthaya warned of more floods

AYUTTHAYA, Sept 22 (TNA) -- Communities in Ayutthaya province, situated along the Noi River and Phong Peng Canal, are already hit by the current flood, while four more districts are also being warning of more flooding, after the Chao Phraya Dam starts discharging water today. Head of the Ayutthaya Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office Udomsak Khaonuna said that his office has announced four districts located near the river to be at risk of further flooding, including Bang Ban, Sena, Phak Hai and Bang Sai. He said the flooding could be worsened due to the discharging of water from the Chao Phraya Dam in Chainat province, at a rate of 1,300 cubic metres per second, after the northern and upper central regions were hard hit by severe downpours. As Ayutthaya is a low lying plain of the central region, the increased water volume has caused the water level in the large canals of Phong Peng and Bang Ban, both of which are connected to the Noi River, to hike and in turn add more water in the Noi River, particularly in Sena district. The increase of water has prompted the river to overflow its banks and flood the communities of Hua Wiang subdistrict and Ban Kratum village under 50 centimetres of water. Mr Udomsak added that the water level in the province is showing tendency to rise even further as the dam continues to discharge more water. (TNA)