Agriculture minister rules out repeat of 2011 devastating floods

BANGKOK, Oct 12 (TNA) --Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chatchai Sarikulya assured that Thailand would not face severe flooding like that in 2011 regarding updated information on water at dams and in waterways. Allaying people’s concerns given the increasing discharges of water from the Chao Phraya dam in Chai Nat province, Gen Chatchai said that in 2011 the flow of the Chao Phraya River in Nakhon Sawan province had been at 4,650 cubic meters per second but the ongoing flow there was only at 2,630 cubic meters per second. In 2011 the Chao Phraya dam discharged 3,634 cubic meters of water per second but the present rate was at 2,404 cubic meters per second, the minister said. Somkiat Prajamwong, director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department, said water inflows into the Chao Phraya River in Nakhon Sawan would peak at 2,700-2,800 cubic meters per second and the discharge rate at the Chao Phraya dam would be capped at 2,600 cubic meters per second. As a result, the levels of the river and adjoining waterways will be 50-80 centimeters higher in Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya provinces for a week. (TNA)