Fury over flooding in Patong

A victim of the 'Nanai River' pushes his stalled

vehicle through the floodwater in Patong.

PATONG / PHUKET: -- Pedestrians and motorists were struggling through meter-deep floodwater on Nanai Road this evening following heavy rains earlier today.

Local residents fed up with the flooding, which they claim has become worse over the past few months, have nicknamed the 50-meter stretch of road ‘Nanai River’.

Several local residents who spoke to the Gazette in May predicted severe flooding in the rainy season.

At that time, residents’ concerns were met with assurances from Patong Municipality that the problem would be solved within three to four months.

Almost seven months later, residents say the flooding is worse than ever, blaming poorly-managed construction projects, inadequate drainage in the area and lack of action from the authorities.

According to Deputy Director of Sanitation at Patong Municipality Teeranun Boonma, rainwater used to drain through the Aroonpat Village estate, through a section of private land and into a canal.

However, the owner of the private land blocked the drains, causing the flooding, he claimed.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-11-17

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Patong floods: no end in sight

One of the worst-affected businesses is this Family Mart convenience store, the entrance to which can be blocked by floodwater for days on end.

PATONG, PHUKET: In the latest developments on the Nanai Road flooding saga, the Patong municipality says a new pump is set to be installed under the road.

However, disgruntled local residents will have to wait until next year for the project to be completed.

Problems first began in April this year, when heavy rains caused floodwater three-feet deep to collect, wreaking havoc on the 50-meter stretch of road since nicknamed "the Nanai River" by locals.

The affected stretch runs roughly from the Aroonpat Village housing estate to the Chang Residence Hotel. The affected area varies in size with rainfall.

Despite numerous appeals from locals in the area, the Patong municipality has yet to find a permanent solution to the problem.

For previous report click here.

The municipality's director of engineering, Sompon Kuanyuen, said the flooding problem is due to the actions of one local resident.

“There is currently a court case pending between two property owners in the area,” he said.

Mr Sompon claims one of the property owners blocked a drain pipe that used to channel rainwater into the nearby Pak Lak Canal, which feeds into Pakbang Canal and, evenutally, Patong Bay.

The most recent heavy flooding, which occurred last week, saw many motorcyclists having to push broken down bikes through the filthy flood water.

Meanwhile, the municipality has appointed Lertpong Tanamanset as the new director of sanitation.

He is determined to fix the problem, said Mr Sompon.

“We have just drawn up plans to install a new pump under that section of road,” Mr Sompon said.

“We expect the budget for the project will be approximately 3 million baht. Hopefully it will be completed next February,” he said.

Two other chronic flood problem areas in Patong are along the Patong-Karon road, in front of Simon Cabaret, and at the back entrance to Soi Sansabai, where it intersects with the unfinished Phang Muang Road. – Atchaa Khamlo and Stephen Fein

-- Phuket Gazette

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]2009-11-20