BATTAMBANG: The Battambang Provincial Department of Water Resources says the situation in the province is manageable and widespread flooding is not expected, even as the river level in the province rises sharply. A series of landslides in the upper part of Samlot district, triggered by heavy rains, caused the water level of the Sangke River to rise to a height of 12.7 metres on Wednesday.

Director of the Battambang Provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology, Long Phalkun, says minor flooding in the mountainous upper reaches of the river is not significant because Battambang has received rain only in the upper part of Samlot district, which is now flowing down to the lower part of the Sangke River and into Tonle Sap Lake.

He says there is no cause for concern, with Battambang’s geography well-equipped to handle heavy rain, with its irrigation systems and large reservoirs.