Lower Paunglaung Dam in Nay Pyi Taw reached its full reservoir level and began spilling water from its spillway at 7am on 31 August, according to the Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department.
Officials said water is being released in a controlled manner according to inflow levels and there is currently no need for concern over flooding along the Paunglaung River.
At 8:45am, spillway discharge was recorded at 2,050 cubic feet per second—far below the record 56,681 cubic feet per second recorded in 2024. The dam and spillway remain in good condition, officials said.
Records show the dam experienced its longest spillway overflow in 2013, when water remained 8.3 feet above the spillway level for 118 days. In 2024, it overflowed for 68 days at a height of 11.87 feet. The current overflow marks the 19th year of spillway overflow during the dam’s 22-year history.
Meanwhile, water levels in the Sittaung River at Taungoo remained below the danger level at 413 cm against 600 cm at 6:30am on 31 August. Further downstream at Madauk, however, the level had reached 1,156 cm, exceeding the danger level of 1,070 cm by about 2 feet 10 inches, and could rise by another 2 inches over the next 24 hours.
