PM Yingluck Wants Bangkok To Speed Up Work To Repair Flood Protection Systems

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INUNDATION

PM wants city to speed up flood barriers

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Concern over unfinished work on dykes, canals

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has asked Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to accelerate its work to repair flood protection systems including dykes along the Chao Phraya River, according to Cabinet secretary-general Ampon Kittiampon.

He spoke to the media after a meeting of the Water and Flood Management Committee, chaired by the PM yesterday.

Yingluck has asked related flood prevention agencies to report on the plan to install and repair infrastructure to prevent flooding in coming months.

So far, flood related agencies had done about 70 to 80 per cent of work needed to maintain and set up infrastructure to prevent flooding, Ampon said.

He said the PM asked the BMA and related agencies to speed up its plan to repair dykes along the Chao Phraya.

There are about 17 spots along the river from Nonthaburi where embankments have been installed to prevent flooding or at least reduce flood damage.

The PM also asked relevant agencies to accelerate construction of an embankment along King's Dyke on the western, eastern and northern boundaries of Bangkok to prevent floodwater flowing into the city.

The King's Dyke in the western-eastern area will be set up along Phraya Ban Lue Canal, while the dyke in north will be installed along Rangsit Canal and Rapeepat Canal.

Ampon said the government would elevate the Asia Highway Network surrounding industrial areas in Ayutthaya to 1.5 metres to protect them from being flooded.

"The government will no longer use sandbag or 'big-bags' to prevent flooding. We hope all infrastructure that we have had prepared will work very well when floods come," he said.

Global-positioning-system (GPS) devices would be used to monitor progress on construction now underway to prevent floods, including the development of "monkey cheek" water storage areas and dredging of wetlands.

"To date, we've faced problems such as we could not ask people to move their home to other places that are located in the floodway," he |said.

The PM also asked the operators of two main dams in the north - Bhumipol and Sirikit Dams - to report the water level in main dams every day.

The level of water in dams should not be lower than 50 per cent of what they hold when full.

"We expect that all construction work to prevent flooding will be finished by the end of August," Ampon said.

Meanwhile, committee head and Minister of Science and Technology Plodprasop Suraswadi said the premier called a special meeting on the water management plan.

He said the government had asked the BMA to check that encroachment along main canals does not become an obstacle to floodwater being drained into the sea.

He said they estimated the amount of floodwater would be less than last year.

-- The Nation 2012-05-01

[Unkomoncents]

And the UN "wants" to alleviate global poverty. This is classic hand-washing in the context of politics.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Unkomoncents

[thequietman]

i think its only fair, after all they've only had a year to sort this out. it takes a number of months before starting any building contract. after all you just cant divy up kick backs that fast, its common sense for goodness sake.

[hellodolly]

Sounds to me like most of Thailand dosen't count.

[trainman34014]

'We expect all construction work to be finished by August'. Doesn't say which year though does it? What happened to the 240km wall that was going to be built each side of the river, anyone seen it get started yet?

'There are 17 spots along the river where embankments have been installed'. That means 17 new piles of dirt then.

[Sayonarax]

Not seen a dam_n thing happen with flood prevention. You guys must do all your work at night like some secret government organizations do in america. At least dredge the canals and clean the sewer systems of the refuse!

[moe666]

There is work on the Ping River south of Chiang Mai it seems to be an organised destruction of the river bank.

[moe666]

i think its only fair, after all they've only had a year to sort this out. it takes a number of months before starting any building contract. after all you just cant divy up kick backs that fast, its common sense for goodness sake.

How do you figure a year when there was flood water until November.

[thequietman]

i think its only fair, after all they've only had a year to sort this out. it takes a number of months before starting any building contract. after all you just cant divy up kick backs that fast, its common sense for goodness sake.

How do you figure a year when there was flood water until November.

apologies..... 'nearly a year'...... happy now ?

[pisico]

"He said the government had asked the BMA to check that encroachment along main canals does not become an obstacle to floodwater being drained into the sea."

Is he kidding? That would mean to apply and enforce the laws which is contrary to the Thai way of life and doing business.

What model is the administration following? The Chinese? The Dutch? The Thai? If the Thai it is this one: First we think Thai and do what we "think" will work. Never ask Farang for help.

After that, wait and see (and hope) that water does not reach 1 meter in Pinklao, Salaya, Ayyudthaya and other areas.

When in doubt, take offerings to the wat nearest you.

If rains fall as hard as last year, the impact on people and the economy will put this country in a dire situation. This administration began with a flood and may end with another one. It's same, same but even samer.

[boogerneil]

I live in Ayuthaya and everyday i still see rivers in Ayuthaya and around the industrial estates still clogged up, overgrown, and filled up with mud and everything, not flowing or cleaned. Why not start with the basic by reducing river levels and making the water have a way to flow away! No,no,no.., their idea is to highten the road by 1.5 metres, how much will this cost? And how can i and many thousands of others get onto these high roads when all around our houses and the road leading to them are flooded. Building dams around industrial estates and higher roads does not let the water flow away, thus reducing flooding.

Please any governor reading this, look into your wash basin tonight, if you take the plug out the water flows away, if not it overflows!

Let the water flow!!!!

[dluek]

"At least dredge the canals and clean the sewer systems of the refuse!"

Not sure about anywhere else, but I live in Thonburi and help a canal tour company and we see them out dredging the canals every day, usually multiple groups (I guess they work for the army). At least in that area the dredging was not done last year, but is being done in a fairly major way now.

Not saying I agree or disagree with what others are saying, but that's what I've seen in Thonburi.

[retarius]

i think its only fair, after all they've only had a year to sort this out. it takes a number of months before starting any building contract. after all you just cant divy up kick backs that fast, its common sense for goodness sake.

How do you figure a year when there was flood water until November.

Floodwaters didn't disappear in November...my family were submerged until mid-Jan....then of course there was the clean up, which could be done instantly...then the planning, which again doesn't need any time.....so a year is fair enough, especially as you don't need any facts when you are bashing this government...same old numbskulls

[ginjag]

Because this lot do not understand the floods affected the world, and because of it they are asked to speed up HaHaHa.  didn't know they had got out of neutral.  Has anyone been paid out yet-yes how much ??? and how many are still waiting ??? CANALS ????   these are sewers, plain and simple. 99% of the population can see near nothing positive has been done, these clowns do not give a dam.  4 YEARS will do, I will have made a packet by then, just the same attitude the local top elected official, 4 years will do nicely thanks. The rotten selfish money grabbing leaches most politicians are.

[finnomick1]

I suppose she's got to really considering the comments made recently that the residents of Bangkok could be rest assured that there would be NO flooding this year.......I wonder if the left hand knows what the right hand is doing ?

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

" I have a dream"... This will be a true miracle...But I doubt it...It can rain a lot between now and AUGUST...

[OZEMADE]

I was under the impression that there were still floods in January and then there were more floods after that down south. So that means they have had 3 months to do things and from what I have seen on the inland road from Pattaya to Lop Buri and the Motorway and Tollway on the way back to Pattaya, I would say they have done a great job around all of those provinces, especially when you consider what condition they were in before the floods and even worse after the floods.