Nay Pyi Taw’s Aon Paung Laung Dam opens 10 hydraulic spillway gates, but no flood risk if no heavy rain

The Ministry of Information has announced that although 10 hydraulic spillway gates of the Aon Paung Laung Dam in Nay Pyi Taw have been opened to release water that has overflowed from the spillway, there is no risk of flooding if there is no heavy rainfall. The Aon Paung Laung Dam is currently adjusting inflow and storage by opening 10 Hydraulic Elevator Dams (HEDs) and regulating water channels through the Paung Laung spillway (Awe Ra spillway), so there is no risk of flooding along the watershed and Sittoung River unless there is exceptionally heavy rainfall. Furthermore, the dam originally had a storage capacity of 549,000 acre-feet when full, but by installing 20 Hydraulic Elevator Dam (HED) gates in the spillway, it is possible to store an additional approximately 21,000 acre-feet. This has led to an increase in annual hydropower generation by 8 million units, bringing the total hydropower generation to 919 million units. On September 1, Union Minister U Min Naung of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation visited the Aon Paung Laung Dam in Zeyathiri Township, Nay Pyi Taw, to inspect the inflow of water into the dam, the dam's structural integrity, and the water flow from the spillway. He also instructed the responsible officials on dam safety and the system for hoisting safety flags around the dam. In the 21 years since the Aon Paung Laung Dam was constructed and put into use, water has overflowed from the spillway 18 times. In 2024, due to the effects of Cyclone 'Gaja', water overflowed from the spillway to a height of over 11 feet, causing flooding in the region. However, under the current circumstances, there are no concerns for the safety of the region or flooding. Furthermore, officials from the respective Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Departments in various regions are providing timely updates on the status of dams with large storage capacities through social media.