Govt Plans To Go Ahead With Dam As Sukhothai Inundated

[webfact]

Govt plans to go ahead with dam as Sukhothai inundated

PONGPHON SARNSAMA

SAOWANEE NIMPANPAYOONWONG

THE NATION

Kaeng Sue Ten Dam should hold up to 1,200 million cubic metres of water

BANGKOK: -- The government is likely to go ahead with plans to construct the Kaeng Sue Ten Dam in Phrae to prevent flooding in Sukhothai and lower northern regions.

Natural Resources and Environ-ment Minister Preecha Rengsom-boonsuk said yesterday that he would ask Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to consider building a dam in Tambon Sa-Iab to hold back the Yom River and reduce flooding in Sukhothai. This was after he spoke to locals affected by flooding in the province.

Preecha said the ministry had studied two projects - building the Kaeng Sue Ten Dam and other permanent reservoirs in the upper and lower parts of the Yom River.

"The government will make the plan to build Kaeng Sue Ten Dam urgent," he said, after reporting on the flooding in Sukhothai in a phone call to Yingluck.

The Kaeng Sue Ten Dam is expected to hold 1,200 million cubic metres of water, and the two reservoirs in the upper and lower Yom River 700 million cubic metres of water.

Water Resources Department director-general Jatuporn Burutphat said the ministry would ask the government to allocate Bt5 billion to improve the capacity of 364 water-retention areas, or monkey cheeks, in the region. These monkey cheeks are able to hold 1.4 billion cubic metres of water.

Hannarong Yaowalert, president of the Foundation for Integrated Water Management, said the Kaeng Sue Ten Dam would not protect Sukhothai from floods, adding that the government should build other dams at the Srisatchanalai district and Phrae province's Wang Chin district which are 100 kilometres from Tambon Sa-Iab. He said heavy precipitation from these areas flows into the Yom River.

Flooding in the Sukhothai municipality area was caused by breaks, some about 13 metres wide, in the flood barriers behind the Wat Ratchatanee community.

Floodwaters destroyed parts of the concrete wall and leaked under the barriers, before flowing into community areas, Jatuporn said. The Wat Ratchatanee community area was under more than 1.5 metres of water. About 5,000 cubic metres of floodwater inundated 5 square kilometres, affecting more than 2,500 households in six communities since last Sunday evening.

Previously, local authorities used hundreds of big sandbags to block the water but to no avail.

In order to help the flood-affected areas in Sukhothai municipality, Preecha said he had told the provincial governor and other officials to install more than 1,000 gabion baskets, or heavy wire netting containing rocks, to block water from leaking through the barriers at Wat Ratchathanee community.

He also ordered local authorities to deploy 20 pumps to drain the water back into the Yom River. "We expect the floods to recede within three days," Preecha said.

The minister also assigned the provincial governor to take over the command centre and instructed officials to destroy roads in order to drain water out of the municipality.

Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, who is also chairperson of the flood management committee, yesterday apologised to flood-hit Sukhothai residents, saying he was unaware of the cracks in the cement barriers that were built in 2001, which allowed the water to flow into town. He said the flooding in Sukhothai's municipal area should recede in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, Sukhothai Provincial Administration Organisation chief Pannasiri Kulanartsiri said the province was still at risk because the level of water in Sawankhalok district was rising by up to a metre and would flow into the provincial capital.

She also warned that the riverbank at more than 100 spots along the Yom River in Sukhothai province were close to collapsing.

Theerapong Chaythaweesuk, 50, the owner of an electrical goods store, said his shop was under a metre of water. He said all his stock was damaged because he did not have time to move it to higher ground. "Nobody warned us about flooding. The floodwaters rose very fast," he said.

Somjai Yensabai, a senior official from the Mineral Resources Department, yesterday warned riverside provinces to watch out for the risk of high pressure

"This pressure will be really high when water levels in the river and neighbouring areas [had risen] by more than a metre," he said, adding that it would pose a serious risk in areas with sandy soil.

Somjai warned that since Angthong, Lop Buri and Sing Buri all have sandy soil, they were at greater risk. He also pointed out that dredging along waterways on high ground could have adverse impacts too because water could rush down faster than usual to provinces in adjacent low-lying zones - such as Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phichit, Angthong and Ayutthaya.

"We noticed that if it does not rain, soil on high ground dries very fast," he said, adding that tropical storm Sanba would be close to Thailand in 10 days and would bring heavy downpours to many provinces in the North and Northeast.

-- The Nation 2012-09-12

[BookMan]

Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, who is also chairperson of the flood management committee, yesterday apologised to flood-hit Sukhothai residents, saying he was unaware of the cracks in the cement barriers that were built in 2001, which allowed the water to flow into town

Difficult to have a lot of confidence with Plidprasob in charge.

[asiawatcher]

Too many committees and political deliberate misinformation from the media. The flood management needs some experienced experts and I doubt Thailand has them. But then they will keep throwing billions of baht at contractors who will greedily accept the payment, pay back huge percentages and the job will never really be successful. And life goes on in Thailand.

[slapout]

Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, who is also chairperson of the flood management committee, yesterday apologised to flood-hit Sukhothai residents, saying he was unaware of the cracks in the cement barriers that were built in 2001, which allowed the water to flow into town

Difficult to have a lot of confidence with Plidprasob in charge.

Well the Science minister has put into service his replacement for boats to speed up water flow. Wonder who authorized/built and paid for those little beauties. Of course those demonstrated were in canals as the boats are too large to navigate the canal system.

The levies built in 2001, in this area, were inspected and the public assured all was under control, by the PM in June. Another good example of how rule by long distence management, committees of incompitents, etc can squander monies people resources and private property from the get go. Wonder if the ministy want to modify their accomplishment reports for the year?. I reckon the live camera monitoring system may be delayed and here I thought it was up and working, from the photo shoots that were made.

For these people to propose new projects, while it is plain to see that they cannot even maintain/improve what system they have in place gives a good indication of what we can expect from the present government, for any improvement for the Thai residents/people.

[theblether]

Dams are the answer......this project looks valid, though Yaowalert may have a point.

People are forgetting that there have been hundreds of foreign experts pouring all over the country inspecting the affected areas and looking at government plans.

I reckon there is a will and expertise to get this right.......last year was a generational wake up call.

[MaxLee]

Blocking the water is never the answer. The Thai government has a floodwall and a dam in their heads

[DeepInTheForest]

It's time to say goodbye.

Goodbye, teak forests.

Goodbye, villagers.

So long and good luck, medicinal herbs and 83 fish species, and mollusks and frogs.

And goodbye, protective woodland spirits. Don't know where you'll go now, but you're not needed these days.

Hello, dam.

Dams have always solved our flooding problems before, haven't they? Flooding is practically unheard of now in many areas. With just a few more dams to eliminate the remaining flooding, we should have the water problems licked.

http://www.livingriv...rch_book1en.pdf

[whybother]

Dams are the answer......this project looks valid, though Yaowalert may have a point.

People are forgetting that there have been hundreds of foreign experts pouring all over the country inspecting the affected areas and looking at government plans.

I reckon there is a will and expertise to get this right.......last year was a generational wake up call.

Dams aren't necessarily an easy answer with many areas being so flat.

[ResX]

Dams are the answer......this project looks valid, though Yaowalert may have a point.

People are forgetting that there have been hundreds of foreign experts pouring all over the country inspecting the affected areas and looking at government plans.

I reckon there is a will and expertise to get this right.......last year was a generational wake up call.

Dams aren't necessarily an easy answer with many areas being so flat.

That is very true.....

[belg]

i can see the government has done much and learned a lot from the floods of last year (noooooooooooooooooooooooot)

[jambco984]

Well if it means I can get out of my house in Sukhothai and not have to be sat here for the 4th day in a row then get digging pronto.

Thaivisa is the only thing keeping me partially sane, I have many films but have no interest in watching them.

GET ME OUTTA HERE............

[Dap]

It's time to say goodbye.

Goodbye, teak forests.

Goodbye, villagers.

So long and good luck, medicinal herbs and 83 fish species, and mollusks and frogs.

And goodbye, protective woodland spirits. Don't know where you'll go now, but you're not needed these days.

Hello, dam.

Dams have always solved our flooding problems before, haven't they? Flooding is practically unheard of now in many areas. With just a few more dams to eliminate the remaining flooding, we should have the water problems licked.

http://www.livingriv...rch_book1en.pdf

Good one @Deepin the Forest.

Most folk don't know or remember that past governments have been trying to build the Kheng Sua Ten dam for almost as long as they tried to build "Swampy". The entire teak genetic library exists in that forest and all these vested interest see is the windfall from dam construction and the final blessing to wipe out the last of the Golden Teak as well as any number of rare and medicinal plants and herbs.

Keng Sua Ten means the"The trail of the dancing Tiger". The tigers are now long gone but that isn't good enough for these greedy individuals. Until there is nothing left to plunder the theft will continue.

[vijer]

Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, who is also chairperson of the flood management committee, yesterday apologised to flood-hit Sukhothai residents, saying he was unaware of the cracks in the cement barriers that were built in 2001, which allowed the water to flow into town. He said the flooding in Sukhothai's municipal area should recede in a couple of days.

Priceless. Miracle Thailand was hoping you could build a dam from cheap cement with no rebar, no solid foundation, etc. and never to be inspected again after it was built, to last thousands of years. Lets see, water exerts 60 pounds of pressure per square inch, we have about 500 feet of water 20 feet deep pushing against this 4 inch wall. Yah it should hold until we get paid.

The problem with these clowns is that they leave the country and visit countries like, the US, England, Germany, etc. and never look around and notice how roads are built, dams, bridges, sewer systems, etc. Nope just use up the tax payers money and pat themselves on the back for a fine con job they are doing.

[hellodolly]

Dams are the answer......this project looks valid, though Yaowalert may have a point.

People are forgetting that there have been hundreds of foreign experts pouring all over the country inspecting the affected areas and looking at government plans.

I reckon there is a will and expertise to get this right.......last year was a generational wake up call.

Well all I know is the Dutch offered and were turned down. Now as for all these plans what plans. And what makes you think Thailand would listen to any one who is not Thai?

[hellodolly]

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Is a dam not just permanent flooding areas that were not flooded before?

And We know from past experience that when the rains are pouring down and water is flooding areas the Government will open the dams.

[MaxLee]

Dams are the answer......this project looks valid, though Yaowalert may have a point.

People are forgetting that there have been hundreds of foreign experts pouring all over the country inspecting the affected areas and looking at government plans.

I reckon there is a will and expertise to get this right.......last year was a generational wake up call.

Well all I know is the Dutch offered and were turned down. Now as for all these plans what plans. And what makes you think Thailand would listen to any one who is not Thai?

Asking for foreign help???? Are you kidding me, that's like "LOSING FACE"