WATER MANAGEMENT

Oversight of RID yet to be decided: PM

Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung

The Nation

Officials studying whether to make the Royal Irrigation Department part of proposed new water agency

BANGKOK: -- It has not been decided whether the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) will become part of the proposed new agency to take charge of water management, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday.

Relevant agencies would have to study the pros and cons before making a decision, the premier said. She had asked agencies to study regulations regarding the establishment of the new water agency, which could be either a ministry or a department.

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She said the government wanted to set up an integrated water-management system.

The government would have to talk with agencies about whether it would be possible to set up the water agency in October, as proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi.

The Royal Irrigation Department is supervised by the Agriculture Ministry. Its duties and responsibilities include activities aimed at collecting, storing, controlling, distributing, draining and allocating water for agriculture, energy, household consumption or industrial purposes; implementation of activities related to prevention of damage from water and safety of dams; and implementation of land consolidation for agriculture nationwide.

In related news, Plodprasop, chairman of the Water and Flood Management Commission, said yesterday during the "Yingluck Government Meets the People" weekly TV programme that the government could complete its Bt350-billion dam, reservoir and floodway construction project for flood prevention in five years.

The government would draw up bidding conditions for the Bt350-billion project this week, he said, adding that details of the project, including an environmental impact assessment, would be finished in two weeks and contracts would be signed in April.

Cabinet has already approved six groups of private companies that initially passed the criteria to participate in the bidding. They will have to propose an investment plan, construction period and bidding amount.

He expected that construction at some sites would be finished in one year and that the whole project would be complete within five years.

Plodprasop vowed that the government would compensate people affected by construction and minimise the impact on them as much as possible. He urged those who will be required to move to make way for construction sites to keep in mind the benefits of the project for the public, and to remember the two million people affected by the 2011 floods.

The country lost Bt1.4 trillion in that crisis, which affected one fifth of the Kingdom’s total area. The flood-prevention construction project would help prevent losses and damage for the majority of Thais, the minister said.

-- The Nation 2013-02-10

"The Royal Irrigation Department ....... duties and responsibilities include activities aimed at collecting, storing, controlling, distributing, draining and allocating water for agriculture, energy, household consumption or industrial purposes; implementation of activities related to prevention of damage from water and safety of dams........"

Yingluk has not decided if the RID will become part of the new Ministry of Water. If it doesn't, <deleted> will the MoW do (besides pay salaries)?

I would think using the R.I.D. would minimise corruption.

Well, Yingluck hasn't made up her mind yet, after 2 years of time for flood preparation?.... Oh, ooouuh, the raging storm is coming already...

... and you still haven't made up your mind???

It would be almost impossible for these people to make up their minds on something which they have obviously no knowledge.....with the exception of course of DP Plodrasop.....he's the man!

It shouldn't be a ministry or a department. The first would be controlled by a Thaksin-appointed incompetent & the second by a PTP-supporting incompetent.

The country needs an independent agency - similar to EGAT - with a professional water-management engineer in charge. It's board of directors could have a set number of RID officers as well as others with appropriate expertise.

For the sceptics, there are capable Thai people who do have the requisite knowledge. What is not needed is more grandstanding politicians whose wacky ideas have no scientific merit & deduct from solutions.

"The Royal Irrigation Department is supervised by the Agriculture Ministry. Its duties and responsibilities include activities aimed at collecting, storing, controlling, distributing, draining and allocating water for agriculture, energy, household consumption or industrial purposes; implementation of activities related to prevention of damage from water and safety of dams; and implementation of land consolidation for agriculture nationwide.

In related news, Plodprasop, chairman of the Water and Flood Management Commission, said yesterday during the "Yingluck Government Meets the People" weekly TV programme that the government could complete its Bt350-billion dam, reservoir and floodway construction project for flood prevention in five years."

From the article it seems there is absolutely no need for a new ministry with all the attendant money sucking sycophants. Description for what the budget will be used for seems to fit nicely under the RID umbrella.

Thank heavens they're all working together, and there is no possibility of the arse failing to respond to the orders, of Ms brain-central !

Perhaps the PM & her DPMs might have an occasional meeting, to coordinate their activities and decisions and pronouncements, they might call it a 'Cabinet' or something similar ?

No ... silly idea ... better to stick with control-by-Skype from overseas !

Well, Yingluck hasn't made up her mind yet, after 2 years of time for flood preparation?.... Oh, ooouuh, the raging storm is coming already...

... and you still haven't made up your mind???

What mind ? Obviously no instructuion received yet.

BANGKOK: -- It has not been decided whether the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) will become part of the proposed new agency to take charge of water management, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday

What the point all the arrangements have already been made....

Plodprasop, chairman of the Water and Flood Management Commission, said yesterday during the "Yingluck Government Meets the People" weekly TV programme that the government could complete its Bt350-billion dam, reservoir and floodway construction project for flood prevention in five years.

So far they have left the dams full and made the floods worse. Last year, in a knee jerk reaction they let too much water go too early and now all the dams are empty.

It can only get better.

Hopefully

So far they have left the dams full and made the floods worse. Last year, in a knee jerk reaction they let too much water go too early and now all the dams are empty.

It can only get better.

Hopefully

In industrial flow terms, this type of over-compensation (often referred to as "hunting") is symptomatic of a low-quality control system. One method of amelioration is to partially close the isolation valve closest to the control valve ("choking" or "gagging") but the only way to stop it is to install a better controller.

I recommend something similar here.

5 years? The clock has been ticking and this is where they are at thus far?

I am certain that in 5 years the flood waters will be lapping at the same doorsteps. In hindsight, the oversight reasons will bear no interest to my mind or to a viable and tangible solution, and will be able to fill a library with volumes of satire.

Perhaps the use of the word "oversight" is appropriate for yet another Thai-imagined thought process and problem solving solution.

...

For the sceptics, there are capable Thai people who do have the requisite knowledge. What is not needed is more grandstanding politicians whose wacky ideas have no scientific merit & deduct from solutions.

Some time ago, talking with a friend studying waterway's management at AIT she told me that's exactly what, in great part, was the cause of the 2011 floods and poor (to put it mildly, almost 600 people died after all) handling of the flooded areas. The academics at the center told her that the experts were bypassed by that those "grandstanding politicians", like delaying the release of water to allow for a second rice crop.

So far they have left the dams full and made the floods worse. Last year, in a knee jerk reaction they let too much water go too early and now all the dams are empty.

It can only get better.

Hopefully

You are absolutely right. In fact we can assume they didn't know what to expect for making such very poor release decision. They released pretty too much water last year.

When we deal with floods we must be very precise about what we are going to deal with. We can't beat the enemy that we don't know it strenght.

Integrated means you are in control about every possible events from A-Z. You have mean and you have power or authority. Any system that has short of this requirement will fail miserably. In fact this was one of the underlying reasons that made the 2011 floods. It followed by dams over released prior to flood season last year.

Get in control from A to Z. Expected or non expected floods the system must not lose control.

And what happened to the politician that made the poor decision to hold back the water.

I think he got promoted.

As we're getting into the height of the drought season and since we want to be careful in deciding anything and because I'm on a loaded foreign travel program, we're still undecided. No problem though, all Thai will surely benefit from our careful and scientifically backed deliberations and ultimate decision when we make such.