The South Suwansiri Hydropower Project has played an important role after the heavy rainfall in the southern region caused a rapid increase in the flow of water in the Suwansiri River. Early warning systems installed at Daporizo on the Swamp River and Temen on the Orange River detected high water levels in the river and issued warnings about six hours in advance. Based on this early warning, the NHPC authorities immediately informed the district administration concerned and sounded the siren at midnight to warn people living along the river in the southern region of the possible danger.
The river has a flow of approx,000 cumec, rising steadily to a maximum of 13,000 cumec during the morning hours. The Suwansiri River’s normal safe carrying capacity is about 7,000 cumecs, but the South Suwansiri Hydroelectric Project reservoir helps to control this huge flood flow to some extent. The project controls a maximum flow of 13,000 cumecs, of which about 12,000 cumecs are released in the morning hours, greatly reducing the intensity of flood waves moving towards the south.
Subsequently, the flow of the river began to recede gradually and around 7 p.mComes down to 500 cu.m. According to local media and television channels, the timely early warning and flood control measures adopted by the hydropower project have helped people in the south to prepare in advance. NHPC South Sovansiri Hydropower Project Adviser AN Mohammad said the move helped avert a major disaster in the southern region.