With the rainy season in full swing, authorities in Oddar Meanchey and Kampong Thom provinces are taking measures to cope with flooding that has resulted from three straight days of downpour.

Chea Piseth, spokesman for Oddar Meanchey Provincial Hall, yesterday said that National Road 67A – which saw water nearly half a metre high in the stretch from the Boeung Ta Mok historical site to Choam-Sa-Ngam border checkpoint – had temporarily been closed in light of rising water levels that could bring a host of unanticipated dangers.

“When the rain continued falling relentlessly, it increased the size of the flood,” he said. “However, until now, we have not received from the local authorities the report detailing the impacts [of the flood] on people’s houses and farms.”

Meanwhile, authorities in Kampong Thom are preparing an announcement that will be released when the Stung Sen River hits 13.5 metres, a level believed likely to be reached, with the water level yesterday at 12.65 metres and the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology predicting the downpour will last until Sunday.

“We are now tracking the situation of the flood in the Stung Sen River and are ready to announce the warning to the people living along this river to be more cautious, and to be prepared with daily necessities in order to avoid unexpected accidents,” said Hak Vuthy, deputy director of the provincial water resources department.