Bt40 Bn Needed For Longterm Solution, PM Yingluck Says: Flood Crisis

[webfact]

FLOOD CRISIS

Bt40 bn needed for longterm solution, PM says, as more rain looms

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday said the government would likely need to spend more than Bt40 billion on integrated water management, which should prevent extensive flooding in the future.

“It will be a long-term solution,” she said.

Yingluck blamed the lack of integrated efforts for the current widespread flooding, which had already caused 158 deaths and left three people missing. The floods continue to rage on in 23 provinces, affecting the lives of 1.92 million people.

“The problem is the lack of an integrated effort. As authorities in one province seek to prevent their province from floods, other provinces are affected,” the PM said.

She lamented that her government did not know how to drain all the flood water, given that it was now literally almost everywhere.

Yingluck had a video conference with the governors of flooded provinces yesterday morning. This now occurs on a daily basis as the prime minister seeks to follow up on progress on flood-relief operations.

As to the current problem, she urged all agencies to protect Bangkok and its adjacent provinces from overflowing rivers as the run-off from the upper part of the country races southwards.

However, for a long-term solution, she is pinning hopes on the committee on integrated water management. She said the authorities from all provinces had already proposed long-term flood-prevention plans to the panel.

According to the Meteorological Department, storm Haitang will add to the current problem by entering the Northeast today. Under its influence, heavy rain will likely saturate many areas of both the Northeast and the East.

Flash floods are therefore possible in many more provinces, the agency said.

Moreover, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Wiboon Sanguanpong said as many as 30 provinces were at risk of flash flooding and landslides this week.

“Officials must monitor the situation closely,” he said.

The Royal Irrigation Department said the Pasak Jolasid Dam would have to release water because the amount it currently held already exceeded its capacity by 30 per cent.

“We have to release water now because this is the low tide, too,” an irrigation official said.

The level of the Pasak River in Saraburi and Ayutthaya will rise when the dam releases water.

As of press time, the Pasak had already overflowed in Ayutthaya’s Tha Ruea district, with the water level having risen by 30 centimetres during the day.

A road next to Tha Ruea Market was submerged under a metre of flood water.

-- The Nation 2011-09-27

[FOODLOVER]

"She lamented that her government did not know how to drain all the flood water, given that it was now literally almost everywhere."

Can we get some one who knows what they are doing!

Edited September 27, 2011 by FOODLOVER

[Thai at Heart]

40bn baht? I think that might be a drop in the growing ocean of water North of Bangkok.

[mca]

Haven't the army got some to spare from their budget? All buddies with Cambodia now, "promise" of no more military coups etc. The boys can go back to the barracks and continue with weeding the grass out front and playing 20 a side footie.

[OzMick]

“The problem is the lack of an integrated effort. As authorities in one province seek to prevent their province from floods, other provinces are affected,” the PM said.

As to the current problem, she urged all agencies to protect Bangkok and its adjacent provinces from overflowing rivers as the run-off from the upper part of the country races southwards.

Does this make her part of the solution, or part of the problem? If "The problem is the lack of an integrated effort....." does that mean that we need another committee? Admin 101 "When you have no idea what to do, form a Committee."

" Pasak Jolasid Dam ........... already exceeded its capacity by 30 per cent." It would seem that in Thailand 100% capacity of a dam is a purely nominal figure, and should not be confused with the simplistic term FULL. It seems the 100% would refer to its normal operating level with allowances for flow surges, and not its capacity.

[rubl]

If only THB 40B is needed for a longterm solution solving flooding, maybe some of the hundreds of billion Baht which maybe spent between now and February 2012 on the 'rice price pledging scheme' might be diverted. I mean flooding effects lots of rice farmers as well

BTW IMHO the flooding problem will take years to solve and lots of money. Take that from a real Dutch uncle

Edited September 27, 2011 by rubl

[ianf]

If only THB 40B is needed for a longterm solution solving flooding, maybe some of the hundreds of billion Baht which maybe spent between now and February 2012 on the 'rice price pledging scheme' might be diverted. I mean flooding effects lots of rice farmers as well

BTW IMHO the flooding problem will take years to solve and lots of money. Take that from a real Dutch uncle

Cannot afford 40 billion as the money is to be spent fulflling the 'bribe' pledges ordered by Thaksin during the election. Thaksin bribes. Poor people pay.

[phiphidon]

If only THB 40B is needed for a longterm solution solving flooding, maybe some of the hundreds of billion Baht which maybe spent between now and February 2012 on the 'rice price pledging scheme' might be diverted. I mean flooding effects lots of rice farmers as well

BTW IMHO the flooding problem will take years to solve and lots of money. Take that from a real Dutch uncle

Maybe if the Abhisit government had spent the 47.5 Billion Baht he actually spent on flood prevention/support (as opposed to the 20 billion baht he claimed to have spent) more efficiently on long term solutions, Thailand wouldn't be in the fix they are in now.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255409050004

[gl555]

If her whole tax cheating criminal family paid their taxes, I think that would cover quite a portion of the 40 billion don't you think?

[rubl]

If only THB 40B is needed for a longterm solution solving flooding, maybe some of the hundreds of billion Baht which maybe spent between now and February 2012 on the 'rice price pledging scheme' might be diverted. I mean flooding effects lots of rice farmers as well

BTW IMHO the flooding problem will take years to solve and lots of money. Take that from a real Dutch uncle

Maybe if the Abhisit government had spent the 47.5 Billion Baht he actually spent on flood prevention/support (as opposed to the 20 billion baht he claimed to have spent) more efficiently on long term solutions, Thailand wouldn't be in the fix they are in now.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news.php?id=255409050004

If any Thai government started to really work on a long-term solution with more than a few reports provided by foreign consultants hired, we might have been able to make the first step. What Thailand needs is water management infrastructure. That requires planning, implementation, maintenance. All issues Thais are well know for to have mastered. Furthermore encroachment on river banks and forests, covering khlongs, etc., etc. has to be undone. This effects lots of people and it seems there is not the political will (courage?) to tackle this efficiently and forcefully.

Any billions of Baht just thrown in to 'window dress' is wasted money. That goes for all Thai governments over the last decades. Let's not just single out that government which we don't like

[NanaFoods]

If only THB 40B is needed for a longterm solution solving flooding, maybe some of the hundreds of billion Baht which maybe spent between now and February 2012 on the 'rice price pledging scheme' might be diverted. I mean flooding effects lots of rice farmers as well

BTW IMHO the flooding problem will take years to solve and lots of money. Take that from a real Dutch uncle

Maybe if the Abhisit government had spent the 47.5 Billion Baht he actually spent on flood prevention/support (as opposed to the 20 billion baht he claimed to have spent) more efficiently on long term solutions, Thailand wouldn't be in the fix they are in now.

http://thainews.prd....id=255409050004

Good point, sir. Touche.

And what did Thaksin's uber-prosperous admin do about the issue?

[moe666]

If it rains to much there isn't a lot you can do about it. The states had some of the biggest floods ever this year and one would assume they are light years ahead of Thailand in flood management. Good luck controlling mother nature especially a Thai one.

How will the distribution go 1 billion for you, 1 billion for me, 1 billion for Big T, 10 baht for flood control, 1 billion for me.

[siampolee]

How will the distribution go 1 billion for you, 1 billion for me, 1 billion for Big T, 10 baht for flood control, 1 billion for me.

'Pon me soul Moe, you are a little tinker you cynic. .

[Bagwan]

Now I understand why it is deemed necessary to buy 6 clapped out submarines.