CHONBURI: The Royal Irrigation Department ordered accelerated drainage across eastern Thailand on October 4th after combined storage in 62 large and medium reservoirs under Regional Irrigation Office 9 reached 100.23 percent of normal capacity, or about 2,605 million cubic metres. This comes ahead of more expected heavy rain this week.
Director-general Witthaya Kaewmee assigned deputy director-general Thanand Sutthipisan to chair an emergency water and flood review at the Eastern Smart Water Operation Center at Regional Irrigation Office 9 in Chonburi. Relevant officials also joined by video link. Kriangsak Phumnak, deputy director of the regional office, attended with project directors and section heads.
The meeting treated the figure as above the normal storage threshold and instructed field teams to track inflows, reservoir levels and discharge rates around the clock. Inspectors were also told to keep checking dams, irrigation structures and delivery systems, with structural safety set as the first priority ahead of any further rainfall.
In Chonburi, officials agreed to manage releases from Khlong Luang Ratchalothorn Reservoir in stages so the reservoir can retain more space for additional rain. The department said it had coordinated with the province and local administrative organisations to warn communities downstream. Residents in Phan Thong and Phanat Nikhom were specifically advised to watch natural waterways for rising levels and to prepare early.
The same order covers seven other eastern provinces still dealing with standing water: Chachoengsao, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo, Nakhon Nayok, Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat. Irrigation projects there were told to run pumping stations, pumps and water-flow accelerators at full capacity and to adjust drainage plans to local terrain and channel conditions, with the goal of limiting damage to homes, property and farmland.
Equipment has already been assigned to flood-risk sites. Along with pumps and flow accelerators, the department has allocated heavy machinery, reinforced earthen embankments and stocked sandbags so crews can respond at any hour. Officials said peak-inflow forecasts would be used to free storage space before the next spell of rain.
The eastern review follows weeks of heavy rain with more expected that left several basins in the region near or above capacity. Earlier in the week, Chonburi authorities were still pumping and dredging canals around Phan Thong and Phanat Nikhom, including near the Amata industrial area, as water levels there began to ease in places.