China denies releasing water upstream

After Thaksin made comments in Chiang Rai, Embassy clarifies the rank of the Jinghong Dam.

Water from the Nam Songkhram river, a major tributary of the Mekong, breached its banks and flooded about 5,000 rai of paddy fields in Sri Songkhram district of Nakhon Phanom province on Wednesday. (Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai)
On Wednesday, the Nam Songkhram valley, a main tributary of the Mekong, breached its bankers and flooded about 5, 000 ray of rice fields in the district of Sri Songkhram in Nakhon Phanom state. ( Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai )

Following accusations that these releases may have caused flooding in Thailand’s north and northeast areas, China has denied releasing liquid from the Jinghong Dam in Yunnan into the Mekong River.

Since the dam has n’t released any water in a while, the Chinese embassy in Bangkok has stated in a statement that it has n’t been connected to the country’s flood situation.

Foreign rivers were in a typical condition for this time of year, according to Embassy officials ‘ inquiries of several state agencies. Between August 18 and August 25, according to the military, pools connected to the Lancang River, as the Mekong is known in China.

The Jinghong Dam’s average daily outflow of water had decreased by 60 % from August last year, and the dam has n’t recently released water, according to the embassy.

When visiting flood victims in Chiang Rai on Tuesday, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra claimed that China’s exceptionally high water release may have caused the Mekong to have experienced an abundance of water while it was even experiencing storms.

He claimed that the Chinese government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were negotiating ways to relieve water without the river filled.

It is not known if the diplomat’s statement responded to Thaksin’s remarks.

Chinese officials are concerned about the flood, according to the embassy.

The six nations in the Lancang ( Mekong ) River Basin are a community of a shared future that are connected by mountains and rivers, according to it on Facebook.

China “fully acknowledges and bears the concerns and interests of other basin countries,” according to the statement.” China is ready to further enhance information sharing and cooperation about water resources, improve the complete management capacity in the basin, and simultaneously address issues like climate change and floods.”

As of Wednesday, the ocean level in the Mekong in Nakhon Phanom had risen to around 10.4 feet, about 1.6 feet below the overflowing degree, with a mass of waters coming from the North.

Specialists in the towns of Muang, Ban Phaeng, Tha Uthen, and That Phanom have been issued a statewide advisory to mount big water pumps to prevent any flow. Residents have also been instructed to monitor weather reports.