As the appointed chief of the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR), Deputy Director of the National Water Command, Surasri Kidtimonton, announced on Friday that his department has raised an urgent call to the Mekong River Commission Secretariat (MRCS), prompted by heavy rainfall in central parts of Laos, as well as Thailand’s northern regions.
Surasri noted that the accumulated rainwater has led to an increase in the water levels of the Mekong River, a grand flow that originates in China and snakes its way through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
With the National Water Commission (NWC) serving as a host to the secretariat of the Mekong River Commission, it has requested the MRCS to be vigilant in monitoring the river’s water state. In doing so, they aim to offer timely updates to member countries. Such information allows for swift preparation against potential flooding, as detailed by Surasri.
He stated, “We asked the MRCS to collaborate with Laos and China in managing the avalanche of water released from their dams into the Mekong River, with the aim of preventing an overflow or a damaging flood.”
Incepted in the year 1995, the Mekong River Commission is an interstate entity focused on fostering regional discussion and cooperation, especially for the Lower Mekong River Basin. It includes Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam as its member countries.
Not so long ago, the NWC relayed a warning signaling potential flooding in eight Thai provinces positioned along the Mekong River. This was due to the forecast of increased rainfall between the 10th and 15th of August.
As of last Friday, the water levels in the Mekong sections that cut across Thailand’s northeastern provinces were still under the riverbank edge. This reading varied in altitudes ranging from 0.89 metres in Nakhon Phanom province to 8.20 metres in Chiang Rai.
Surasri emphasized on the proactive measures taken by the ONWR office in the Northeast. They have been closely tracking the water situation in the Mekong and are braced for potential flooding. Going further, he assured that this monitoring will persist until the situation is normalized.
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