Thai South Faces Risk Of Inundation

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FLOODS

Now south faces risk of inundation

By The Nation

After ravaging through 36 provinces in the country, floods are threatening to wreak havoc in many more areas.

The South is now at risk given that a strong monsoon is hovering over the region and the Gulf of Thailand. In such circumstances, it is forecast that heavy rain will pour down on several southern provinces between October 27 and October 31.

Disaster Mitigation and Prevention Department director general Wiboon Sanguanpong yesterday revealed that residents in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Phatthalung, Ranong, Phang Ngao, Phuket, Krabi and Satun would have to brace for possible flash floods and landslide.

Other risky provinces included Pattani, Yala, Songkhla, and Narathiwat.

The risk comes up after floods have recently claimed more than 50 lives and upset the lives of over three million victims.

In Suphan Buri, one more floodrelated death was reported. The body of 70yearold Prissana Plaiyong was found floating in the floodwater. It was believed that she might have drowned while rowing a boat out to fetch some food from a market. In worsthit spot, floodwater was more than one metre deep.

In Lop Buri, the situation was so bad that some locals had to scrape by on the roof of their houses where floodwater had ranged between three and four metres for nearly two weeks already.

In Chachoengsao, the official residence of the provincial governor like many locals' houses were inundated.

In Nonthaburi, floods have affected a number of locals too.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday inspected the situation in Bangkok himself in a bid to protect the heart of the country.

"Mechanisms in Bangkok have facilitated the help to other areas. We have to protect it as best as we can," he explained.

Some riverside areas of Bangkok are now flooded.

Meanwhile, as runoff water from Chi and Mul rivers was expected to hit Ubon Ratchathani on November 2, some 2,400 atrisk residents in Ubon Ratchathani's Khueang Nai, Muang, Warin Chamrap, Sawang Wirawong and Pibul Mungsaharn districts were evacuated, said provincial governor Surapol Saipan yesterday. The provincial disaster prevention and mitigation officials were instructed to strengthen and add 30cm more height to the flood barriers along Mul River at Huai Moung and Huai Wang Nong areas, he said.

Director of water allocation division at the 7th Irrigation Office, Niran Naktabtim said the Mul River would flow through Si Sa Ket's Rasi Salai district on October 31 at 880 cubic meters per second. The Mul water with the flow rate of 2,660 cubic meters per second or 229.8 million cubic meters per day would reach Muang Ubon Ratchathani on November 2 and send overflows to lowlaying riverside areas, before passing through Kaeng Saphue into Khong River. The water from Chi River at 1,121 cubic meters per second would meet with Mul water at Tambon Bungwai in Warin Chamrap on November 25, hence the meeting point area would face flooding conditions due to a large amount of water at up to 4,000 cubic meters/second, Niran said. Currently Chi River at Khueang Nai's Fai That Noi reservoir was 79cm beyond bank while Mul River at Seriprachathipatai Bridge was 36cm beyond the bank, he added.

Social Development and Human Security Minister Issara Somchai yesterday delivered relief bags to 1,732 flood victims and assistance money to flood insurance subscribers at Nakhon Unbon Ratchathani Municipality. Somchai earlier also inspected Chi and Mul riverside areas in Muang, Warin Chamrap and Khueang Nai districts.

In Maha Sarakham's Kosum Pisai district, Chi River sent floodwater to cover 24,000 rai of rice field in seven tambons, prompting villagers to harvest rice prematurely and set up sandbag barriers along Chi River.

Meanwhile, Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Raphi Phongbuppakit reported that 800,000 people in 32 districts were affected by flooding condition and vowed to urgently follow through compensation payment for these flood victims. Raphi said that he was also working on a long term flood prevention plan for the province to propose the Cabinet within 23 weeks.

As floodwater remained in many areas and receded gradually, it was expected that flood would remain for another two weeks because they couldn't drain floodwater to Mul River this week because the river rose higher than the province's flooded areas. The Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital had only 10cm15cmdeep flood.

However the province yesterday kicked off the "Big Cleaning Day" activity to gradually clean public places where floodwater had receded until all the province was dry and clean again.

In Ayutthaya where 16 districts were declared flood disaster zones, although water in Pasak and Lop Buri rivers lowered, the province continued to watch out for flooding conditions because northern runoffs still passed through the province and added 50cm to the flood barriers' height, said Governor Witthaya Phewphong. As flood situation was expected to remain in Ayutthaya for over 30 days, the provincial authority instructed districts to provide enough shelters to flood victims and to systematically arrange the drinking water, the toilet and the transportation by boat, he added.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department deputy chief Chatpong Chatphuti said they couldn't procure boats despite having a budget because of the boat shortage.

Acting secretarygeneral of the Office of Public Sector AntiCorruption Commission, Ampol Wongsiri, said the Justice Minister had instructed the office to set a special taskforce centre with five special fastmoving teams to check on each province's disaster budget spending. They also urged each province - which received Bt50 million in disaster budget per year - to give the budget spending details at their city halls.

-- The Nation 2010-10-28