Thai flood: Lack of water-drainage options blamed for inundation in East

[webfact]

INUNDATIONS
Lack of water-drainage options blamed for inundation in East
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Royal Irrigation Department is blaming the raging floods in the East on the lack of water-drainage options.

Many areas in the region have been under water for more than a month already.

"The region has been relying on local rivers for water draining; there's nothing else," the department's deputy director general, Suthep Noipairoj, said yesterday.

He said that though there are plenty of reservoir projects in the works for the region, none of them has been completed yet. For instance, the Huai Samong Reservoir in Prachin Buri's Nadi district is scheduled for completion in 2017.

"We need to invest more in this," Suthep said, though he admitted that the continuous downpours were also to be blamed.

According to Prachin Buri Governor Jitra Phomchutima, her province has been getting about 200 millilitres of rain per day since September 19. The province spans an area of just over 7,500 square metres.

Serious inundation

"The province has more than 1.1 billion cubic metres of water now," she said.

Jitra went on to say that the only channel to drain water was through the Prachin Buri River, which is already brimming over.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said 17 boats have so far been deployed on the river to help with the water drainage.

Neighbouring province Sa Kaew is also struggling with serious flooding. So far, about 100 families in Khao Chakan district have been evacuated due to high flood levels in their hometown.

As of press time, floods have ravaged 28 provinces and affected the lives of some 1.98 million people.

Suwan Dejkhum, a vendor at the Lam Nang Rong Dam in Buri Ram's Non Din Daeng district, said flooding was hurting business very badly.

"The dam usually attracts tourists, but with the flooding nobody is showing up. We can't earn anything," she said.


-- The Nation 2013-10-08

[Tatsujin]

"We need to invest more in this," Suthep said

Well, you've had more than 2 years to get it sorted. Plenty of time. Morons.

[MaxLee]

It's time to panic now while you can, Bangkok only Bangkok folks, while your distant rest of Thailand already served you as a human floodwall...

[GeorgeO]

"We need to invest more in this," Suthep said

Well, you've had more than 2 years to get it sorted. Plenty of time. Morons.

...not to mention the 350,000,000,000 baht that was made available for such projects...!!

[canman]

So he's saying that the reason for flooding is that the water cannot drain away? Give this man a nobel prize! Now that they have worked that out maybe they can come up with a plan.

[ratcatcher]

"According to Prachin Buri Governor Jitra Phomchutima, her province has been getting about 200 millilitres of rain per day since September 19. The province spans an area of just over 7,500 square metres."

A rather small province I reckon? I am sure there are some rich Thais living in larger houses.

[Kerryd]

"The province spans an area of just over 7,500 square metres." !

(For comparison - The Central Festival mall in Pattaya is over 200,000 square meters and the Grand Palace in Bangkok is over 218,000 square meters !)

(Prachin Buri is more like 4,762 square kilometres. Maybe that explains some things.........http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prachinburi_Province)

The 200 mils of rain per day though. The provincial average was 21 mils/day in Sept and just 15 mils/day in Oct. Little wonder there are problems if you are sustaining 10 times the normal average rainfall over an extended period of time.

This is pretty much typical of the "leaky roof" syndrome though. Can't fix the leaky roof when it's raining because it's wet (and dangerous). But when the rain stops, the roof isn't leaking anymore so it isn't a priority !

[tomross46]

Is the water drainage blocked by the construction of new townships and roads which are now dams?

[H1w4yR1da]

If I don't like that I am right wing???

And what's wrong with being right-wing?

Thankfully Europe is undergoing a resurgence of the right as a response to attacks on their way of life.

[Rimmer]

A post in GIANT fonts has been removed along with a reply to it

[MikeOboe57]

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said 17 boats have so far been deployed on the river to help with the water drainage.

Dear Khun Suthep,

this "ploddy" shows that your department has no clue what it is doing. Sorry.

[Always18]

Hold the presses!.................."Water causes Flooding"

Well, who'd have thought that eh?

Edited October 8, 2013 by Always18

[Mudlover]

A post in GIANT fonts has been removed along with a reply to it

Dammit I signed in specifically to "like" that post. Well said, large-font poster.

[h90]

If I don't like that I am right wing???

And what's wrong with being right-wing?

Thankfully Europe is undergoing a resurgence of the right as a response to attacks on their way of life.

Nothing wrong with it.....but that is another topic....I just doubt that someone is automatically right wing, if he wants that the government is doing something different than corruption.

While I am not left wing, I guess that these also want flood protection, less corruption and no waste of money. That are universal things no matter what political opinion.

[BuriramRes]

So he's saying that the reason for flooding is that the water cannot drain away? Give this man a nobel prize! Now that they have worked that out maybe they can come up with a plan.

The name for these things is "rivers". Nature tends to make these, haven't you noticed?

[Desert Rat]

So,they`re blaming themselves ?

[nong38]

"We need to invest more in this," Suthep said

Well, you've had more than 2 years to get it sorted. Plenty of time. Morons.

No no no, now we set up set tressle tables and make lots of notes and it will be all sorted next year you will see. Note numbre 1 make sure to take holidays abroad or go to Holland to study sea defences as soon as rains start. Pack up tables, let get down to Macdonalds for a beer!

[ableguy]

If I don't like that I am right wing???

And what's wrong with being right-wing?

Thankfully Europe is undergoing a resurgence of the right as a response to attacks on their way of life.

What nonsense you people write! get a life.

[H1w4yR1da]

If I don't like that I am right wing???

And what's wrong with being right-wing?

Thankfully Europe is undergoing a resurgence of the right as a response to attacks on their way of life.

What nonsense you people write! get a life.

Care to explain why it's nonsense? Or do you just want to throw insults around?

Let me guess, you're just another liberal, middle-class white on a guilt trip. Vote UKIP!

[billd766]

I usually log onto the Thai Meteorological department to get the daily records of hi/lo temp, dew point, rain during the last 24 hours but strangely enough ALL the records for many weather station have disappeared and there are none from 1st October 2013 to date.

How very "inconvenient" that this ahs happened just at this time of heavy rain and floods.

Could this just be a coincidence?

http://www.tmd.go.th/en/province.php?id=8

Pick any city or province for yourself and click on archive in the top right corner.