Thai Govt Establishes Single Anti-Flood Command

[webfact]

Govt establishes single anti-flood command

THE NATION

Prime Minister to appoint members of Water and Flood Management Committee, which will be led by a minister

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet yesterday approved the establishment of a single command authority for the country's water-management and flood-prevention efforts.

This mission of the Water and Flood Management Committee (WFMC), which will operate under the National Water and Flood Policy Committee (NWFPC), is considered of the utmost importance, in light of the havoc wreaked on the country by last year's floods. The NWFPC will be given a big say in how the Bt350 billion earmarked for the country's flood-prevention and water-management activities is spent.

This huge sum will be made available for state use soon in the form of special loans.

In the wake of the worst flooding in decades, the Cabinet yesterday responded to a proposal by the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM) that a single command authority be set up. The SCWRM, which has many water experts and prominent figures including Chaipattana Foundation secretary-general Sumet Tantivejkul and former Royal Irrigation Depart-ment chief Pramote Maiklad at its disposal, will continue to provide advice and recommendations to the NWFPC.

The WFMC will be under the command of the NWFPC, which is chaired by the prime minister. The NWFPC is in charge of formulating policies and making recommendations on budgets, loan management and all work relating to water management to the Cabinet.

The NWFPC will also advise the Cabinet on compensation for those negatively impacted by the WFMC's operations.

While a deputy prime minister or a minister will head the WFMC, the prime minister has the authority to name its members. The WFMC is tasked with developing, reviewing and approving work plans, formulating work guidelines for authorities involved, and supervising relevant agencies.

"The WFMC will have the power to order state agencies to comply with the work plans too," the prime minister's deputy secretary-general, Thitima Chaisang, said yesterday in her capacity as the acting government spokeswoman.

She said the Office of the National Water and Flood Policy Committee (ONWFPC) would be set up to facilitate the work of the WFMC. Other relevant state agencies will work under this office.

The establishment of the NWFPC, WFMC and ONWFPC are the key elements of a draft ministerial regulation on water and flood management proposed by the PM's Office.

The Cabinet approved the draft yesterday.

Thitima added that the Cabinet had assigned the Council of State to improve relevant laws to facilitate the work of the WFMC.

"We need efficiency to remove obstacles that aggravated the flooding last year," she said.

At its meeting yesterday, the Cabinet approved plans to dredge 43 canals in Bangkok. Deputy government spokesman Chalitrat Chanthrubekkha disclosed that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and nine ministries including the Interior Ministry would collaborate on the dredging operations.

In a related development, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday said her government had drawn up a rough plan on which zones should be used as water-retention areas in the Central region during the wet season.

"These zones are usually flood-prone. However, we have to compare the planned zones with the map proposed by each provincial authority first," Yingluck said. "We will choose zones that have the minimum impacts on people."

She said her government would also talk to locals in the planned zones in advance.

"We won't announce the name list of the zones via the media first, as that may cause misunderstanding and prompt opposition from people," the prime minister said.

-- The Nation 2012-02-08

[Unkomoncents]

Hahahahahahaha! Yeah, but this article clearly articulates that that flood command will be under the direction of another 'single flood command' (NWFPC) which operates over another 'single flood command' soon to be created (ONWFPC). Sounds like the wheels of efficiency have really been greased this time. All of these agencies report to Cabinet Ministers who report, allegedly, to PM Yingluck Shinawatra (who, during the floods, asked permission to open sluice gates from some unknown power, like out of Lord of the Rings).

[whybother]

Chao Phraya River overflows, inundating Ayutthaya's Sena District, officials say unseasonal rain caused high water level, not water discharged from dams /MCOT

Don't know how they're going to cope with the seasonal rains.

[whybother]

Chao Phraya River overflows, inundating Ayutthaya's Sena District, officials say unseasonal rain caused high water level, not water discharged from dams /MCOT

Don't know how they're going to cope with the seasonal rains.

Residents in Sena, Ayutthaya hit by 20cm of flooding due to discharge of water from Bhumibol Dam /TANN

Unseasonal rain. Dam discharge. Who knows?

Probably not the NWFPC, WFMC, ONWFPC or the SCWRM. They're all busy trying to remember their acronyms and trying to work out who is in charge of what?

Edited February 8, 2012 by whybother

[rubl]

Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM). Nice abbreviation, sound like Elmer Fudd trying to say something like s_c_r_e_w_m.

[MaiChai]

So instead of the two command we had before (Bangkok versus Government) we now have one run by the Government. That should quieten down any errs made by the government when managing flooding. It also means less accountability for Government actions?

[rubl]

From Thailand Live Wednesday 8 Feb 2012

#40: Ayutthaya Locals Hit by Flooding

Residents of Sena, Ayutthaya are hit by 20 centimeters of flooding from the discharge of water from the Bhumibol Dam for irrigation.

#46: Agriculture Ministry admits Ayutthaya's Sena district flood resulted from water discharges at dams; authorities send help to affected residents /MCOT

[hellodolly]

So instead of the two command we had before (Bangkok versus Government) we now have one run by the Government. That should quieten down any errs made by the government when managing flooding. It also means less accountability for Government actions?

I see where Bangkok is going ahead with their own program for clearing waterways.

Does this mean they will have to stop like the government and just create single flood control committees.

Sorry I lost count how many single flood control committees do they have now?

[slapout]

Well the various groups working under the PM have managed to creat another flood, during the dry season no less. Their handling of the budgets alloted will in all likelyhood follow the same pattern.

Guess the big thank you party is the top priorty on their agenda. Hope they can be more realistic in ordering from the suppliers than they can order reasonable amounts of water release from the dams.

By the time this government retires from the trough, the cost to the taxpayer is going to make slieght of hand budgeting, look like a tip to the cook for the correct order.

[khunken]

They forgot to include the <deleted> committee,

[Reasonableman]

Or SCRUM... Oh i forgot, that's what we had before.

Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM). Nice abbreviation, sound like Elmer Fudd trying to say something like s_c_r_e_w_m.