Angry Chai Nat Flood Victims Destroy Sandbag Barrier Protecting Suphan Buri

[Lite Beer]

WET SEASON WOES

Angry Chai Nat flood victims destroy sandbag barrier protecting Suphan Buri

By The Nation on Sunday

BMA officials open gates to let river water into city canals

More than 500 flood victims in Chai Nat yesterday demolished sandbag walls that officials had erected to limit the amount of water flowing into neighbouring Suphan Buri province.

"We have lived with floodwater for a month now. We can't put up with this any longer," said a flood victim who identified herself only as Kung.

She and her comrades at first closed the Wat Sing - Uthai Thani Road in Mueang Chai Nat district to force officials at the Phon Thep Irrigation Project to come out and negotiate with them. However, after the officials refused to come out, the local flood victims simply demolished the sandbag walls.

"The first floor of local houses are flooded. Have you thought about people whose houses have just one floor? Three locals have drowned. Our children are suffering from athlete's foot," Kung said.

The project's chief, Worachai Bamrungphon, later said his team had released some water but the locals were still not happy.

"I think within two days, water from here will reach Suphan Buri," he added.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), meanwhile, decided to open water gates to let water from the Chao Phraya River into some of Bangkok's canals.

Sanya Sheenimit, chief of the BMA's Department of Drainage and Sewerage, said the move would ease flood problems in Nonthaburi.

Previously, farmers in Bangkok's adjacent provinces lamented that the authorities' efforts to fully protect the capital came at their expense.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Pornthep Techapaiboon urged the government yesterday to quickly compensate affected people in Pathum Thani, a province adjacent to Bangkok.

Two young children, including an eight-month-old baby, were among the latest casualties of floods that now look set to hit even wider areas.

The baby, Siripop Khamroon, and his three-year-old brother Weerapop were found dead yesterday after a flash flood swept through their village in Chiang Mai's Fang district late on Friday night.

"The disaster also seriously damaged 30 houses there," Fang district chief Prakasit Mahasing said.

He said flood torrents were so powerful the whole road to the village was damaged and five bridges destroyed.

Pong Namron Horticulture Experiment Station sustained serious damage too. "The damage is estimated at over Bt50 million," Prakasit said.

Fang district was among areas at risk identified by the National Disaster Warning Centre, which yesterday warned that landslides and flash floods could hit some northern provinces this weekend due to expected downpours.

The centre said many districts of Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani and Maha Sarakham in the Northeast were also at risks of flash floods and overflows this weekend.

Central provinces such as Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Angthong, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Bangkok might also face downpours and possible flash floods today and tomorrow, it added.

Eastern provinces like Prachin Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat would also face these risks from tomorrow till Friday, it warned.

As for the South, there would be risks between Tuesday and Friday. Popular tourist destinations like Krabi and Phuket were also facing adverse weather.

"People in risky areas must be on alert," the centre said.

According to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, floods have now raged in 23 provinces. None of these was in the South, however.

The official death toll stood at 153 as of yesterday morning. Three other victims were reported missing. But more deaths were reported later yesterday.

Uthai Thani Governor Wanchai Hosukhonsap said Prateep Sukiam, 57, was the latest flood victim to have drowned in his province.

"He drowned while trying to wade through floodwater to visit his elderly dad, who lived just 150 metres away," Wanchai said.

-- The Nation 2011-09-25

[FOODLOVER]

So they now put their neighbors in danger? Releasing amounts of water like this can cause serious flash flooding resulting in many deaths.

[kartman]

So they now put their neighbors in danger? Releasing amounts of water like this can cause serious flash flooding resulting in many deaths.

I thought you'd like it then i put my glasses on and saw a 'L' wasn't there, as a flood victim i'd be pissed off if officials were favoring one community over another, any reason other than poor management?.

[NanLaew]

The primary function of these flood defenses and the people that manage them nationwide is to keep the city and urban areas flood-free.

For example, Udon Thani had catastrophic flooding over 20 years ago that saw in the inner city mostly under water for months. After that event, the city invested in major works to prevent water coming in and channel the flows around the city. The unfortunate result of this has typically been flooding on the north side of the city. With this year being the 'wettest on record', the inundation has been much wider and prolonged. Even the main Mitrapharb Highway north of the city to Nongkhai is in danger of being cut off. But Udon inner city is mostly dry apart from some low areas between the airport and the city center.

Now you can replace Udon with Bangkok or Suphan Buri and you can see that it's typically quite good management of poorly designed system that values city and urban dwellers well being above those in the boonies.

Edited September 25, 2011 by NanLaew

[TAWP]

It is better to let the 'boonies' than the larger cities or villages be flooded since the latter has way more people per square kilometer that will be affected.

Not exactly rocket surgery.

[whybother]

It is better to let the 'boonies' than the larger cities or villages be flooded since the latter has way more people per square kilometer that will be affected.

Not exactly rocket surgery.

Not exactly rocket science or brain surgery, either.

Edited September 25, 2011 by whybother

[lannarebirth]

I'm on the villagers side on this one. Why should they keep taking it up the ass, year after year, losing homes, livelihoods and lives to protect the lives of others deemed more important?

[TAWP]

Not exactly rocket surgery.

Not exactly rocket science or brain surgery, either.

That is why the joke is funny.

[moe666]

It is better to let the 'boonies' than the larger cities or villages be flooded since the latter has way more people per square kilometer that will be affected.

Not exactly rocket surgery.

Unless you live in the boonies and have athelets foot

[Ijustwannateach]

Partly, though, seems that the efforts on the part of the city (and paid for by the city) are what's keeping the surrounding areas flooded.

Kind of like when one person on a street raises his land and house and all the water that would stand there moves onto neighboring ground.

Considering that this happens every year it would figure that people could build reservoirs, pipes, canal systems nationwide, if the political will existed- but politics hasn't exactly had 'useful stuff for the nation' on the main radar the last 15 years or so.

I think the idiom you folks are looking for is 'rocket surgery' (credit to Mr. Hippo).

[NanLaew]

^ Totally agree. Since the politicians and parliamentarians in Bangkok have managed to (mostly) keep their feet dry at the expense of the rest of the country, the incentive to sort it out hasn't existed.

^^^ There's no argument that having inner Bangkok inundated is worse than having the rural regions under water. The scope of the disruption would be phenomenal and the remediation long and costly... not to mention the politicians wouldn't be able to do their jobs and work on resolving the problem. Every day there seems to be another government entity with a water-related name making statements of the obvious while the water levels rise.

The methods of flood control devised and implemented over 20 years ago were very much knee-jerk and only addressed the immediate need with no regard to the urban sprawl of Bangkok and other provincial cities that has taken place in the interim. No forward planning for the natural growth of population centres is now exacerbated by the trend towards heavier, more prolonged or more frequent downpours in the 'rainy season' which should probably be renamed the 'floody season'.

Me? I have bought a boat!

[TAWP]

I think the idiom you folks are looking for is 'rocket surgery' (credit to Mr. Hippo).

Looking for? I wrote it.

And have said it for some 15 years.

[Tiffer]

Maybe I'm wrong, but don't "developed" countries use flood planes to dissipate flood water ? :jap:

[softgeorge]

Was there yesterday. The canals are at thier normal levels and the water is being held back by makeshift walls and sandbags, which is causing the flooding. The people on the riverside are in makeshift stractures on the side of the main road whilst the people in the other side of the road and canal in the more expensive houses and living a normal life. If they relased some of the water into the canals then people could return to thier homes and the more well to do on the other side of the canal would not be effected either.