No Clear Guidelines On Flood Prevention: Thai Expert

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FLOOD

No clear guidelines on flood prevention: expert

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM) has yet to lay down clear guidelines for flood prevention, even though it has approved a Bt350billion budget for the purpose, one of the committee members said yesterday.

Dr Smith Dhammasaroj, who heads the National Disaster Warning Council, said he had stopped attending SCWRM meetings. "I see no point in showing up because no one really listens to my advice," he said, adding that he had only attended three of the five SCWRM meetings.

Smith warned that in the face of the La Nina effect, the volume of rain would be as high this year as last.

"We should closely monitor how the government will be preparing to deal with the imminent flooding," he said, adding that so far, no canals have been dredged or any damaged sluice gates fixed.

Smith was speaking at a seminar held by the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand (EMIT).

"The EMIT should start getting adequate lifesaving equipment ready," he emphasised.

On Wednesday, Pramote Maiklad - a former directorgeneral of the Royal Irrigation Department - also said there were no clear guidelines on dealing with floods in Bangkok and surrounding provinces and that the government had yet to come up with a waterresources management proposal.

He advised the government to follow His Majesty's suggestions, made in 1980, about designating floodways and green belts to protect the capital and its surrounding provinces from getting submerged.

Pramote said floodways - or water tunnels - were needed as a sustainable measure to prevent severe flooding in the lower parts of the Chao Phraya River basin.

-- The Nation 2012-01-27

[Buchholz]

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It's only a measly 350,000,000,000.00 Baht of taxpayer's money, so why the need for any clarity in guidelines on how it's spent?

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Edited January 27, 2012 by Buchholz

[KKvampire]

It will flood at least as bad as last year FACT. Just happy I am leaving in April

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[Bakseedaa]

It will flood at least as bad as last year FACT. Just happy I am leaving in April

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

All they need to do is empty the Dams before the rainy season begins... there is more than enough capacity in those dams to take the heavy rainfall... But the water tunnel for Bangkok is a great idea as there are secondary benefits to this project to help life in the city on a daily basis ... if they build the tunnels correctly..!!!!

[tragickingdom]

Another loser who thinks that he is alone on this world. There are probably hundreds of possible solutions. THe Thai governments has nothing done about flood prevention since World War II when they started filling in the Klongs of Bangkok. Now some bureaucrat is coming in and thinks that he has magical powers. If anyone believes that a city let alone a country can be protected against floods within a year or two they might as well emigrate to Disney World. Flood prevention measures takes years probably a decade or longer. Sack the chap and appoint a new manager.

[swillowbee]

... the international insurance industry has spoken quite clearly on Thailand's competence to mitigate flooding ... they cut Thailand off, and no longer underwrite policies for Thai flooding.

... the response is that the Thai government is now in the insurance business (at the expense of the Thai taxpayer), offering flood insurance to prevent foreign manufacturing companies from fleeing to other countries.

... whether insured against damage to their facilities, or not, foreign companies cannot withstand having their entire global supply shut down because Thailand is incompetent to deal with something like flooding ... I think they will withhold future NEW expansion and projects until the concrete is set and the floodgates inspected (by foreign inspectors, or course).

... does any foreign MD want to face the wrath of shareholders or BOD because they made the decision to trust the Thai government's word? ... I don't really think that is going to happen.

... this Thai guy, Dr. Smith Dhammasaroj, might have the vision to forge the solution, but he is in a room of incompetent, babbling children ... poor man ... there is a place in heaven for him ... and the 800+ innocent Thais who perished needlessly in last year's totally preventable flooding, many of whom were aged and children ... I recall international agencies classified it as a "man-made disaster."

... get your 'floaties' ready for more flooding Thailand ... the Thai government is appearing hopelessly incompetent to defend it's own citizens, for which they are now known internationally ... (maybe it is a simple matter of motivation ... "who cares about them? ... they are just low-class prai").

[warfie]

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It's only a measly 350,000,000,000.00 Baht of taxpayer's money, so why the need for any clarity in guidelines on how it's spent?

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Actually, I was thinking the other way around... how can they put a price on plans they don't have?

[fred110]

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It's only a measly 350,000,000,000.00 Baht of taxpayer's money, so why the need for any clarity in guidelines on how it's spent?

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Actually, I was thinking the other way around... how can they put a price on plans they don't have?

In business we have a saying - Work expands to fill the time allowed. In Thailand, projects expand to use up all money allocated.

[fred110]

It will flood at least as bad as last year FACT. Just happy I am leaving in April

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

All they need to do is empty the Dams before the rainy season begins... there is more than enough capacity in those dams to take the heavy rainfall... But the water tunnel for Bangkok is a great idea as there are secondary benefits to this project to help life in the city on a daily basis ... if they build the tunnels correctly..!!!!

Have they cleared a single canal yet?

[KeyserSoze01]

They went thataway.