Mekong water level falling

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In: South-East Asia

Thousands of rai of rice fields damaged

PUBLISHED : 14 Aug 2023 at 11:56

Mekong water level falling
The Mekong river level in Nakhon Phanom province is receding 10-20 centimetres a day. It was 1.30 metres below the spillover point on Monday morning. (Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai)

NAKHON PHANOM: The level of the Mekong river is falling and water can now be drained more quickly out of thousands of rai of flooded rice fields, authorities in this northeastern border province said on Monday.

The river was receding by 10-20 centimetres per day. It was measured at 10.70 metres deep on Monday morning, 1.30m below the spilling point of 12m, Irrigation officials said.

Although the Mekong is falling,  water in three major tributaries –  the Nam Oon, Nam Songkhram and Huay Bang Ko rivers – was  20-30% higher than their normal capacities.

The provincial irrigation office was trying to drain as much water as possible out of nearly 10,000 rai of rice fields which have been flooded. It was initially estimated about 5,000 rai of the flooded rice crop would be  damaged.