Floods in Thailand still don't warrant WFMC action

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Floods still don't warrant WFMC action
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation



Though 29 provinces remain inundated, officials say the level is still at Category 2

BANGKOK: -- Handling the flood situation in the provinces is being left up to the provincial authorities because it still falls under the government-set Category 2. It is only when the situation hits Category 4, that the Water and Flood Management Commission (WFMC) will step in.

Meanwhile, the number of flood-related deaths rose to 37 as 29 provinces remained under water as of press time yesterday, with Sa Kaew, Prachin Buri and Chachoengsao being the hardest-hit.

Royol Chitradon, a WFMC member, said the floods in several provinces were currently being managed according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act. The Act classifies flood disasters in four categories - 1 being the mildest and 4 the worst.

District and provincial authorities handle the first two levels, while joint-provincial and state authorities control the last two levels. The state authority to handle Category 4 floods is the WFMC, he explained.

The provincial governor and the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DPMD) officials are now managing the situation in Prachin Buri, Royol said.

However, he explained, sometimes state agencies need to step in, like flooding in the Central region needs to be controlled by the Royal Irrigation Department as more than 60 per cent of the region is irrigated area.

"The flood situation in the Central region is okay and the level of floodwaters in the Northeast is dropping," he said. "We hope the floods in the East will recede if there are no more storms."

Royol, also director of the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute, said his agency was now closely monitoring the upcoming Nari storm to see if it would have an impact on the East of Thailand. It may not affect the region if it weakens after arriving in Vietnam.

An informed source said Prachin Buri's Muang Prachin Buri, Prachantakham, Sri Maha Pho, Sri Mahosote and Ban Sang districts continued to suffer from rising floods as of press time. The source quoted DPMD officials as saying some areas of Kabin Buri district were suffering from power cuts and many places were under up to 2.5 to 3.5 metres of water. Also there was no drainage because Bang Pakong River, which Prachin Buri River runs into, was brimming over.

DPMD chief Chatchai Promlert said yesterday that from September 17, floods had hit 41 provinces affecting 3,496,630 people, damaging 20,542 homes and submerging 3,254,417 rai of farmland. So far, 37 deaths have been reported. Though the waters have subsided in 12 provinces, 29 still remain submerged with as many as 1,792,519 people being affected, Chatchai said.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) deputy city clerk Sanya Cheenimit warned residents, particularly those living outside the city's flood barrier zone, of rising water levels in the Chao Phraya River due to seasonal seawater inflows from October 15-17.

Inspecting Bangkok Noi's Santichon Songkhro Community and the 3.5-meter-high flood barrier along Chao Phraya River, Sanya said the 400-family community was flooded on Tuesday because water had flowed through the 500-metre-long unfinished section.

He added that the city would find a new contractor to finish the job. For now, BMA has installed water pumps and is clearing the garbage to ensure quick water drainage, he added.

Sanya said the eastern area of Bangkok was less likely to be flooded now because runoffs from the North had stabilised, while dams were releasing less water and it had had stopped raining.

Meanwhile, the Stop Global Warming Association (SGWA) filed a lawsuit with the Central Administrative Court yesterday demanding an injunction suspending the government's public forum on the Bt350-billion water- and flood-management scheme. SGWA president Srisuwan Janya said the forums, held from October 15 to December 6, would only involve 36 provinces and that 800 to 2,000 people were invited from each province to participate, when in reality, the 2011 floods actually affected over a million people in 65 provinces.


-- The Nation 2013-10-11

[osiboy]

yeah,... what's a few or even 10s of deaths and thousands of sick ppl got to do with priorities , don't bring this WFMC into it , they could even make things better , we don't want to help anyone do we ? the provinces are managing fine , just look around you ! , all is hunky dorey ..........glug glug

[dcutman]

his agency was now closely monitoring the upcoming Nari storm to see if it would have an impact on the East of Thailand. It may not affect the region if it weakens after arriving in Vietnam.

Information about these models can be found at the National Hurricane Center.

Is there really any doubt this storm will have an effect.

[Katipo]

Here is some novel thinking. Why don't they activate this 'WFMC' to prevent the level reaching catorgary 4, instead of wiating until it is too late?

[laurentbkk]

meanwhile in Bali .........

[WhizBang]

Here is some novel thinking. Why don't they activate this 'WFMC' to prevent the level reaching catorgary 4, instead of wiating until it is too late?

Can't do that as that would involve actually doing something. Not in their job description.

[SOTIRIOS]

Here is some novel thinking. Why don't they activate this 'WFMC' to prevent the level reaching catorgary 4, instead of wiating until it is too late?

....maybe the money they allocated to themselves is ........

(....finsh the sentence as you like....)

[finnomick]

I bet Bangkok only has category 1 -- one rule for some, another rule for others and lets face it, if the water levels in the farming lands stay this high for much longer, the rice crop will rot and die thus solving the problems of rice mountains next year

[indyuk]

Here is some novel thinking. Why don't they activate this 'WFMC' to prevent the level reaching catorgary 4, instead of wiating until it is too late?

There would not be any point in breaking rank with a National plan for the categorisation and response to the Nation's flooding if Thailand now responds sporadically.

This is the first time in the last 20 years (the span of my residence in Thailand) that there has been a formalised national plan of forecast assessments monitoring and responding to Thailand's annual flooding events.

Most of Thailand is on an alluvial flood plain which is largely responsible for Thailand's success and prosperity. The government has no intention to try and eliminate the valuable water resource, simply put the government aims to optimise the existing flood defense systems installed by their predecessors and add major strategic capital intensive robust systems to prevent the flooding from overwhelming the nation and shutting down her industries.

[Katipo]

Here is some novel thinking. Why don't they activate this 'WFMC' to prevent the level reaching catorgary 4, instead of wiating until it is too late?

There would not be any point in breaking rank with a National plan for the categorisation and response to the Nation's flooding if Thailand now responds sporadically.

This is the first time in the last 20 years (the span of my residence in Thailand) that there has been a formalised national plan of forecast assessments monitoring and responding to Thailand's annual flooding events.

Most of Thailand is on an alluvial flood plain which is largely responsible for Thailand's success and prosperity. The government has no intention to try and eliminate the valuable water resource, simply put the government aims to optimise the existing flood defense systems installed by their predecessors and add major strategic capital intensive robust systems to prevent the flooding from overwhelming the nation and shutting down her industries.

You don't need to, no can't eliminate the water, but you can manage it. Catchment areas, reforestisation, unblocking waterways, building new ones. The list goes on.

Ask the families and businesses who are affected this year how the monitoring, assessing, and responding is working for them.

[khunken]

Here is some novel thinking. Why don't they activate this 'WFMC' to prevent the level reaching catorgary 4, instead of wiating until it is too late?

There would not be any point in breaking rank with a National plan for the categorisation and response to the Nation's flooding if Thailand now responds sporadically.

This is the first time in the last 20 years (the span of my residence in Thailand) that there has been a formalised national plan of forecast assessments monitoring and responding to Thailand's annual flooding events.

Most of Thailand is on an alluvial flood plain which is largely responsible for Thailand's success and prosperity. The government has no intention to try and eliminate the valuable water resource, simply put the government aims to optimise the existing flood defense systems installed by their predecessors and add major strategic capital intensive robust systems to prevent the flooding from overwhelming the nation and shutting down her industries.

High falutin' mumbo jumbo.

The government - 2years ago - passed a decree (supposed to be used in emergency cases) to appropriate B350bn for flood alleviation projects. Then they put Plodprasop in charge.

He has mishandled every single aspect of the intended projects and made it clear that any competent people and locally affected people are not allowed to provide any input. Dams, dams & more dams is the limit of Mr Plod's thought.

I thought the FROC was bad (Plod again) but the current 'management' of the flooding is worse. Yes, mother nature cannot be controlled but if they can't put some sort of abatement plan in place why do they need such a large sun of money to pretend to do something. I think the answer to that is obvious and it begins with a big 'c'.

[espinoza]

his agency was now closely monitoring the upcoming Nari storm to see if it would have an impact on the East of Thailand. It may not affect the region if it weakens after arriving in Vietnam.

The Typhoon Nari was two years ago.

Information about these models can be found at the National Hurricane Center.

Is there really any doubt this storm will have an effect.

[espinoza]

Do you mean they can tell the wind to slow down ? Or not make so much rain ?

Here is some novel thinking. Why don't they activate this 'WFMC' to prevent the level reaching catorgary 4, instead of wiating until it is too late?

[wolf5370]

Do you mean they can tell the wind to slow down ? Or not make so much rain ?

Here is some novel thinking. Why don't they activate this 'WFMC' to prevent the level reaching catorgary 4, instead of wiating until it is too late?

If the only thing the WFMC could do is play King Canute, then they would be worthless at Cat 4 also!

What Katipo is suggesting is that rather than reacting to disaster, how about being proactive and using some of those billions paid into the prevention fund after the 2011 floods being put to good use and prevent the bloody disaster!