Central Region, South Warned Of More Floods

[webfact]

Central region, South warned of more floods

THE NATION

Phuket is hit by flood yesterday.

Phuket roads covered; BMA attacked for |its failure to dredge sewers

BANGKOK: -- Meteorological officials are warning of flooding in the Central region and the South, with heavy rain continuing for the next two days or so.

Similar to the situation in Bangkok, roads were inundated in Phuket town yesterday, with flood waters ranging from 50-100 centimetres high at the Patong Hospital intersection. The Loma intersection and some portions of Thavevong and Sainamyen roads were also flooded.

"The southern provinces along the Andaman Sea will see more rain and downpours until early October," Wanchai Sak-udomchai, head of the weather bureau in Songkhla, said yesterday.

Residents of areas prone to flooding and landslides must be on the alert, Wanchai said.

In Bangkok, officials were waiting to hear from the Meteorological Department as to whether rainfall in the capital would increase tenfold over the next five days as suggested by some forecasts.

"If the rainfall will really be that huge, we will have to be ready for what will happen," said Sanya Sheenimit, the head of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Drainage and Sewerage Department. He explained that the capital's drainage system could accommodate just 60 millimetres of rainfall per day.

Statistics show that rainfall in Bangkok this month alone has been the highest in 50 years, with more than 130mm recorded in some parts of the city in one day.

Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, the chairman of the Water and Flood Management Commission, chastised the BMA for failing to prevent the floods.

Bangkok roads have turned into rivers in the past few weeks after hours-long downpours. Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road has been especially susceptible to flooding.

"It is necessary that relevant authorities urgently dredge the sewage pipes and improve the drainage network," Plodprasob said.

Speaking in his capacity as a Bangkok MP, Information and Communications Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap said he suspected that many of the city's main and secondary roads were inundated because the BMA had failed to complete the dredging of sewers.

According to the BMA Drainage and Sewerage Department, dredging operations under BMA supervision were 85.15 per cent complete as of July 20. On the same day, the Corrections Department said it had completed its assigned dredging.

"The government has allocated a budget of Bt1.96 billion to the BMA for this purpose. So why hasn't it completed its task?" Anudith said.

He said all areas covered by the Corrections Department's dredging were not flooded by downpours, except the Phra Pipit intersection, where sewer pipes are small.

"The problem is not clogged pipes," he said.

Intanon Jannilla, an engineer at Srinakharinwirot University on Sukhumvit Soi 23, said the campus faced flooding whenever there was heavy rain for more than an hour.

"The university has dredged its pipes but the BMA has not. We have now contacted the BMA for help in dredging the sewer pipes on Soi 23 and nearby areas," he said.

Anudith said he did not believe the BMA's claim that it had already dredged the sewers because policemen and the Corrections Department found many empty bags with the BMA emblem in the pipes in areas to be covered by the city administration's dredging.

"Those bags were sandbags that the BMA used during last year's flood crisis," he said. "Clearly, the BMA has not yet dredged all the pipes assigned to it."

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lt-General Khamronwit Thoopkrajang instructed residents of areas needing drains cleaned to contact the Corrections Department.

"The department can provide inmates for the operations. We have to focus on roads repeatedly hit by flood water such as Ratchadaphisek, Sri Ayutthaya and Samsen," he said.

Flooding is a major concern in many provinces. In Ranong, residents of 84 villages have been warned of flash floods and mudslides over the next few days.

In Ayutthaya, a flood drill was conducted at the Saha Rattana Nakorn Industrial Estate, which was hit hard by flooding last year.

-- The Nation 2012-09-27

[asiawatcher]

Like every other figure quoted in Thailand of Government spending, the money is 'stated', but there is no transparency of where it went and no accounting reporting. The first and last known of it, is what the press reports - and then the complaints and finger pointing starts! The amounts being 'quoted' are sufficient for the task, so if the task is not done, then it would be fair to assume the full amount as 'stated' was not all there when the time came to do the job.

[OZEMADE]

I dont think the Gov has done a bad job in preventing the same type of flooding as what happened last year to date.

Even and I quote, (Statistics show that rainfall in Bangkok this month alone has been the highest in 50 years, with more than 130mm recorded in some parts of the city in one day.)

Further to that there is a lot more rain forecast for the city and Thailand.

The Indian Gov have had to evacuate more than 2,000,000 people due to flooding up north yesterday.

This will also create a run off to Thailand this year not to mention we are in the monsoon season..

Keep your fingers crossed.

I hope the dark side of Pattaya is coping, don't know how much rain they have had, dry here in OZ.

[stevehaigh]

the rain has finished in phuket, it will be nothing but sun for the next week or so

[EarthAlien]

"Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, the chairman of the Water and Flood Management Commission"

That fact alone is enough to sound warning bells in all provinces and Thailand!

Remove that clown and we may stand half a chance!

[Schuimpge]

Lets compare apples to apples shall we...

2012: "Statistics show that rainfall in Bangkok this month alone has been the highest in 50 years, with more than 130mm recorded in some parts of the city in one day."

2011: up to 50% more rainfall north/central Thailand

Results:

2012: BMA, 3-4 hours of flooded roads....

2011: Government 3-4 months of flooded provinces....

The government failed miserably last year when the rest of Thailand had that much extra rainfall.

Mr. Plodprasob should have a serious look at how badly the government failed to handle a bit of extra rain last year before commenting on the BMA.

Aside from last year...how did those floodwalls in Sukhothai hold up again Mr. Plodprasob?....

[draggons]

I dont think the Gov has done a bad job in preventing the same type of flooding as what happened last year to date.

Even and I quote, (Statistics show that rainfall in Bangkok this month alone has been the highest in 50 years, with more than 130mm recorded in some parts of the city in one day.)

Further to that there is a lot more rain forecast for the city and Thailand.

The Indian Gov have had to evacuate more than 2,000,000 people due to flooding up north yesterday.

This will also create a run off to Thailand this year not to mention we are in the monsoon season..

Keep your fingers crossed.

I hope the dark side of Pattaya is coping, don't know how much rain they have had, dry here in OZ.

It's not the heavy rain in BKK that's a problem. It's the volume of oggin coming from up north that causes the problems. To save BKK they flood the central region! Last year we had roads washed away and water in the house for months.

[conimex]

The richest are getting richer, the poorest are getting poorer ! If we save the richest (Bangkokians) and we drown the poorest (E-san and Central regions), we will get a country with only rich citizens .....!!!???

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

The richest are getting richer, the poorest are getting poorer ! If we save the richest (Bangkokians) and we drown the poorest (E-san and Central regions), we will get a country with only rich citizens .....!!!???

We should all be rich 6 months ago (PT government election promise) What went wrong?

[MaxLee]

I dont think the Gov has done a bad job in preventing the same type of flooding as what happened last year to date.

Even and I quote, (Statistics show that rainfall in Bangkok this month alone has been the highest in 50 years, with more than 130mm recorded in some parts of the city in one day.)

Further to that there is a lot more rain forecast for the city and Thailand.

The Indian Gov have had to evacuate more than 2,000,000 people due to flooding up north yesterday.

This will also create a run off to Thailand this year not to mention we are in the monsoon season..

Keep your fingers crossed.

I hope the dark side of Pattaya is coping, don't know how much rain they have had, dry here in OZ.

It's not the heavy rain in BKK that's a problem. It's the volume of oggin coming from up north that causes the problems. To save BKK they flood the central region! Last year we had roads washed away and water in the house for months.

You hit the nail in the coffin. Save Bangkok at the cost of the other provinces, That has been the tactic all year long and through many years, only disguised in face-saving treachery promises and corruption.

What Mega projects??? There never WERE NEVER ANY (intended, for the other provinces)

For Yingluck and co. Bangkok is the "Face of Thailand", and "Bangkok sh****loads on other provinces that provide them with the agricultural food that they love so much....

Edited September 27, 2012 by MaxLee

[indyuk]

I dont think the Gov has done a bad job in preventing the same type of flooding as what happened last year to date.

Even and I quote, (Statistics show that rainfall in Bangkok this month alone has been the highest in 50 years, with more than 130mm recorded in some parts of the city in one day.)

Further to that there is a lot more rain forecast for the city and Thailand.

The Indian Gov have had to evacuate more than 2,000,000 people due to flooding up north yesterday.

This will also create a run off to Thailand this year not to mention we are in the monsoon season..

Keep your fingers crossed.

I hope the dark side of Pattaya is coping, don't know how much rain they have had, dry here in OZ.

It's not the heavy rain in BKK that's a problem. It's the volume of oggin coming from up north that causes the problems. To save BKK they flood the central region! Last year we had roads washed away and water in the house for months.

You hit the nail in the coffin. Save Bangkok at the cost of the other provinces, That has been the tactic all year long and through many years, only disguised in face-saving treachery promises and corruption.

What Mega projects??? There never WERE NEVER ANY (intended, for the other provinces)

For Yingluck and co. Bangkok is the "Face of Thailand", and "Bangkok sh****loads on other provinces that provide them with the agricultural food that they love so much....

You are asking the impossible. The structure of the governance of Thailand is feudal. National government can draw up plans to build flood defenses, issue plans with a budget,issue the actual cash and then hope that the Governor of BKK will contract the works and reconcile the accounts against contract sums paid for actual work done. No one, not even the Prime Minister can interfere with the process once the plan and the cash are handed over. As you would expect there is a feeding frenzy when the money arrives and the cash left over to settle contractor bills is inadequate. You can guess the rest e.g BKK flood defense work 80% complete in July, yet still only 80% complete by September. Probably 20% of the cash disappeared. QED

[Skywalker69]

I dont think the Gov has done a bad job in preventing the same type of flooding as what happened last year to date.

Even and I quote, (Statistics show that rainfall in Bangkok this month alone has been the highest in 50 years, with more than 130mm recorded in some parts of the city in one day.)

Further to that there is a lot more rain forecast for the city and Thailand.

The Indian Gov have had to evacuate more than 2,000,000 people due to flooding up north yesterday.

This will also create a run off to Thailand this year not to mention we are in the monsoon season..

Keep your fingers crossed.

I hope the dark side of Pattaya is coping, don't know how much rain they have had, dry here in OZ.

They haven´t done a bad job pocketing money.

[DeepInTheForest]

from IOL news (?) (seems to be a South African publication), dated 28 September, 2012, a piece by Somchai Kwankijswet and Peter Janssen:

The department predicted heavy rainfall in at least 90 percent of the Bangkok metropolitan area this weekend.

The capital has been hard hit by unusually heavy rains all week, peaking at 130 millimetres on September 25.

Bangkok's drainage system can handle a maximum of 60 millimetres of rain per hour. If exceeded, flooding is inevitable.

Besides Bangkok, authorities have also warned people living or travelling in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Phitsanulok, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Trat, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi and the coastal provinces of Ranong, Phang Nga and Krabi to prepare for heavy rain and possible floods, landsides and mudslides.

Since September 4, five people have died in flood-related accidents.

About 813 people died during last year's rainy season, which saw Thailand's worst flooding in decades.

The government has allocated more than 300 billion baht (9.8 billion dollars) to find solutions to the threat of floods.

This year they have only had time to implement short-term projects such as dredging canals and installing hundreds of pumps. - Sapa-dpa

http://www.iol.co.za...88#.UGXlwK74WSo

Edited September 28, 2012 by DeepInTheForest