NAKHON SAWAN

Mae Wong Dam will be ready by 2016: Theera

KANITTHA THEPJORN

THE NATION

Minister says residents have waited for it for more than three decades

BANGKOK: -- Nakhon Sawan's Mae Wong Dam project will be completed in 2016, Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut told a House meeting yesterday.

When Nakhon Sawan MP Prasart Tanprasert asked about the dam's budget, as the annual budget for 2013 didn't mention it, Theera answered on the prime minister's behalf. Saying Nakhon Sawan residents had waited for the dam for over 30 years, he said the project, requiring a Bt13.28-billion budget, was included in the 5th national economic and social development plan and that an environmental impact assessment had been done.

Theera said the dam's budget didn't appear in the 2013 budget act because it was included in the loan spending plan approved by royal decree that authorised the Finance Ministry to formulate a water-management system.

He said the project would use Bt9 billion from the spending plan, with the rest coming from the usual budgets such as the Bt3-billion construction budget and the Bt600-million budget for solving environmental problems.

Prasart said he wanted to know if the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry was notified that the dam was located in a national park, and whether evacuation was necessary because the dam construction area covered Mae Re sub-district's villages. Theera said the Royal Irrigation Department first asked to use the location in May 2007. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation didn't object, so the National Environment Board was assigned to consider it. As for the people living downstream from the dam, he reported that they wouldn't be affected, so there was no need for evacuation.

Asked when the dam would be complete, Theera said the Cabinet had approved it in principle and set an eight-year time frame, the first year of which would be spent on preparing engineering details. He said the water irrigation system's design was currently under inspection. After the National Environment Board approved the dam project and considered the environmental impact assessment report in July, the project would begin. It should be complete by 2016, he said.

On Monday, the Agriculture Ministry would host a public forum at Lat Yao Wittayakhom School in Nakhon Sawan's Lat Yao district to hear about environmental and health impacts. Environmental academic Hannarong Yaowalert would observe the forum and raise questions, as some facts remained hazy, such as the loss of forestland. According to one report, 7,000-8,000 rai would be lost, while another report put the loss at 10,000-13,000 rai.

-- The Nation 2012-05-18

This should read Terra the Minister for Causing Floods said!--Why is this incompetent still in the job?

Eights years is a reasonable time frame for building a dam. Front End Engineering and Design, at least 8 months to generate a decent design, pass it out for consideration and get contractor bids. Assuming no government delays, then you enter detailed design and issue bulk material purchase orders (concrete, rebar, cable etc), purchase of long lead items - like the electricity generating turbines, those are a 2 year lead time. Tyen short lead items only taking a year or less to fabricate and ship. All that'll take another year or three.

Meanwhile, on construction there's the need to transport the material and manpower, so you have to add extra roads or widen those available for transport of construction equipment, prefabbed stuff (like those turbines) and people. Not including space required for temporary offices, concrete batch plant, welding shops etc.

Talking of manpower needs. How many men required for 2 plus years? Are they trucked in every day or do construction camps/shanty towns evolve... And all in/near a national park?

Oh yeah, and 2016 is only 4 years away, not eight. There will be tears and scandle over this puppy.

Edited May 18, 201214 yr by Narratio

This should read Terra the Minister for Causing Floods said!--Why is this incompetent still in the job?

Probably because if he was fired he would blab about the other people involved in the dam mismanagement.

Step One: 2016 - 2012 = 8 years. Step Two: Award the contract to the "Thailand Elite Dam Construction Company, Ltd."