Flooding in central Phetchaburi to ease soon

Roads in downtown Phetchaburi remained flooded on Thursday, but usable by all traffic. (Photo by Chaiwat Satyam)

PHETCHABURI: Flooding in downtown areas of Muang district increased slightly on Thursday, but the level was expected to fall soon as inflow to Kaeng Krachan dam has slowed.

Floodwater in central Phetchaburi was 10-40 centimetres deep on Thursday morning, several centimetres higher than when it arrived in the centre of the province on Wednesday morning. Local officials tried to contain flooding with pumps and sandbags.

More local roads were inundated but remained passable for vehicles. Floodwater entered Wat Yai Suwannaram, a registered archaeological site.

The main southern highway, Phetkasem, remained intact in Phetchaburi.

Samroeng Saengphuwong, deputy secretary-general of the Office of the National Water Resources, said the Kaeng Krachan dam held 767 million cubic metres of water, 108% of its capacity, on Thursday, down by 6 million cubic metres from Wednesday.

Water flowing down its spillway was 1.24 metres deep, 13cm lower. Inflow to the dam amounted to 13.41 million cubic metres in the past 24 hours, down by 6 million cubic metres from the previous period. Discharges amounted to 19.75 million cubic metres, down by 6 million cubic metres.

Discharges into the Phetchaburi River were decreasing and the river level was subsiding. The level was 32cm below its banks in Kaeng Krachan district and stable at 51cm above its banks in Muang district, Mr Samroeng said.