Xebangfai riverside residents warned of flo od risk
Residents of several villages alongside the Xebangfai River in central Khammuan province have been warned of a flood risk and some villages have already been flooded.
The Meteorology and Hydrology Department yesterday advised the rest of the villages to remain vigilant of the situation, as further flooding could occur at any time along the Mekong River tributary.
The water level in Vientiane is 10.04 metres on Tuesday.
In yesterday's forecasted warning, the department said rain would continue to fall in a large area of the central part of the country, particularly the neighbouring Borikhamxay and Khammuan provinces, which could make the river level rise further.
The department made the announcement to warn authorities and riverside villagers, particularly those living along the lower basin of the river.
“Be vigilant of the floods which could be triggered by forecast rainfall,” the warning said. “Please regularly follow weather forecasts from the Meteorology and Hydrology Department.”
The department said Xebangfai is the only one of the Mekong's many tributaries whose water level is recorded as high in measuring stations.
Several low-lying villages along the Xebangfai riverside, such as Beunghuana, Dangtha and Nongbone, have already been flooded, the department said.
The level of the Mekong River in several areas is approaching alert level, with the southern province of Champassak considered most at risk.
Measured at 7am on August 31, the level in Champassak province was 10.2 metres, and forecast to rise further to 10.26 metres today, ever closer to the alert level of 11 metres and the danger level set at 12 metres.
The water level in Vientiane capital is forecasted to reach 10.69 metres, with the alert and danger levels standing at 11.5 and 12.5 metres respectively.
Paksan district in Borikhamxay province and Thakhaek district in Khammuan province each have more than one metre remaining before reaching the alert levels of 13.5 and 13 metres respectively.
Though Savannakhet province was predicted to reach 9.55 metres tomorrow, it is still far from the alert level of 12 metres, while Luang Prabang province has almost five metres left before the water reaches the alert level of 17.5 metres.
The Mekong River Commission stated on its website that there are currently no flood warnings in place at monitored sites along the Mekong.
By Souksakhone Vaenkeo (Latest Update September 1 , 2010)
