Cabinet to consider Chao Phraya Basin water plan

By THE NATION

 

A rescue team helps a woman and her children evacuate their flooded house in Phitsanulok province’s Wang Thong district. Heavy rains caused by Typhoon Doksuri.

 

More flooding looms as experts point out issues with Bt200-bn proposed projects.
 

BANGKOK: -- THE Bt200-billion flood and drought prevention plan for the Chao Phraya River Basin will be presented to the Cabinet tomorrow, while water-management experts have voiced concerns over the public’s knowledge about the plan and opportunities for participation.

 

The National Water Resource Committee announced it was planning to present the plan – which will include many projects including new water sluices, irrigation canals and the Chao Phraya River widening project – for consideration by a mobile Cabinet meeting in Ayutthaya tomorrow. 

 

Meanwhile, heavy rains resulting from Tropical Storm Doksuri, which has weakened from a typhoon, have caused extensive flooding in many provinces in the North and Northeast regions.

 

 

Water Resource Department director-general Worasart Aphaiphong, who is also secretary of the National Water Resource Committee, said the committee had gathered all the proposed water management projects covering the area from Chai Nat province to Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River Delta to sustainably solve flood and drought problems in the region over a six-year period.

 

The total plan is estimated to cost Bt200 billion.

 

Worasart said the plan would involve a large variety of irrigation projects, such as designating land as new water retention areas, installing new water sluices, |constructing riverside embankments and widening the Chao Phraya River, all of which were intended to solve chronic problems relating to flooding and drought.

 

“These projects will not be the same as those in the previous government’s water management plan, as we will ask local people for their opinions. If we have to allocate such a large sum of money [to spend on the projects], all the projects will have to be presented in clear detail to the Cabinet,” he said.

 

Government Spokesperson Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the government cared about water issues in the Central region, adding that the new water management plan would create more than 200,000 rai (32,000 hectares) of irrigated areas and benefit more than 155,000 families.

 

 

However, prominent water expert Hannarong Yaowalers said he was still very sceptical about the new water management plan, as information about the projects had not been fully disclosed and local people did not have a chance to learn about new projects that would be conducted near their homes.

 

“One of my concerns about this plan is a new irrigation canal in Ayutthaya, which will affect many people due to land expropriation and the possible impacts on the Chao Phraya River,” Hannarong said.

 

“I would like to ask the government to disclose the details of all projects in this plan and let local people engage with these projects. Moreover, such a gigantic plan should not be rushed and there should be proper studies on every aspect before starting the projects.”

 

In related news, Tropical Storm Doksuri has submerged many provinces in the North and Northeast under floodwater, with residents in many areas bracing for further inundation. Many of the provinces in the upper Northeast region are still in the process of recovering from severe flooding caused by last storms last month.

 

The Meteorological Department has warned people in many parts of the North, Northeast, East and South regions to brace for possible flash floods due to intense rainfall that should easy after today.

 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30326949

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-18

"The total plan is estimated to cost Bt200 billion."

I wonder what the cost of the actual things being built will be? >_>

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“These projects will not be the same as those in the previous government’s water management plan, as we will ask local people for their opinions.

If those opinions interfere with the project plan, Prayut will invoke Article 44 to enable him to do "whatever" without accountability. Not the same as before.

6 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

If those opinions interfere with the project plan, Prayut will invoke Article 44 to enable him to do "whatever" without accountability. Not the same as before.

If it helps speed things up and really does help the overall flooding problems (meaning a sound plan) I would find it good use of article 44. Sometimes some people suffer for the greater good. Houses and land might have to be appropriated as long as it is done at a fair price it would be good.

But of course that is a lot of IF's and I wonder if the next government will just not cancel it all. It always looks like there is a lot of talk and then with a goverment change projects are cancelled (others got the brown enveloppe and the new politicians want their brown envelopes) so they cancel the old so they can spend the money again minus their cut.. so nothing ever gets really completed. (unless its in a far stage already.). and given that the government is going to start elections in 2018 I don't see this go past planning stage.

Until something starts happening this is all talk. Floods are not a new thing and should have been addressed long ago. Of course the money will be an easy target and will run out before anything really gets done but after all its just poor people that are impacted the most so it must be okay...right?

 

The Nan river is in full flood going past our house and we all know where it is heading.And we are still not out of the rainy season.