Residents protest floodway scheme
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation
Samut Songkhram



People in Samut Songkhram say the new river will affect their fishing activities

BANGKOK: -- THOUSANDS of residents of Samut Songkhram province yesterday protested against a floodway construction project that is part of the government's Bt350-billion water- and flood-management scheme. They said the new river would affect their fishing activities, especially for tuna - the most famous fish in Thailand.

Local people and students sailed boats decorated with hand-made banners declaring "Say No Floodway" and "Floodway Would Hurt Local People", along the Mae Klong River to protest the government's ambitious plan.

They also marched through the Samut Songkhram municipality, urging the public to join their protest.

Under the government's flood-prevention mega-scheme, three construction projects will be built to drain floodwater from the northern region to the sea - including a diversion channel known as a floodway, river dredging, and the construction of defensive flood-protection measures for the community and areas of economic importance.

The 280-kilometre-long floodway will cover six provinces - Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Suphan Buri and Kanchanaburi.

The project is expected to drain 1,500 cubic metres of water per second from the northern region to the sea via Kanchanaburi’s Mae Klong Dam.

Apart from this project, the government plans to dredge the Mae Klong River to improve its drainage capacity from 950 cubic metres per second to 2,100 cubic metres per second. This project will start from Ratchaburi's Photharam district to the mouth of the Khaew Aom Canal - located between the border of two districts of Samut Songkhram, Amphawa and Bang Khonthi.

The government will also dredge the Tachin River and build a shortcut canal to improve the drainage capacity as the river has a lot of S-shaped curves, which make drainage difficult.

"I'm worried that the large amount of floodwater to be drained via this huge channel would affect our fisheries activity, especially the captured tuna," a 60-year-old local resident, Suri Phonpimonwan, said during the demonstration.

"No officials came here and told us about the project. We have heard about the project from leaflets and word of mouth," she added.

Amphawa villager Piya Klangrattanachokechai said he does not agree with the government building this floodway project, as it would affect the ecosystem and villagers' livelihoods.

Because of the three-water ecosystem (saline, fresh and brackish), people in Samut Songkhram can enjoy the fertile land and fishing activity in the canal network and the mouth of river.

"There is no report studying the environmental impact from this project," Bancha Kwanyeun, associate professor and dean of Kasetsart University's Faculty of Engineering, said.

He was speaking at the public forum entitled "The New River Watch" held by the New River Watch group and its network at Samut Songkhram Provincial Administration organisation.

"No details have been given to the public and local people with which to make a decision on whether to go ahead with the project," he added.

Instead of building this Bt150-billion flood-diversion channel on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, Bancha said the government should improve the capacity of drainage systems on the eastern bank to drain water from the Yom, Nan, Chao Phraya and Pasak rivers, which are the major causes of flood problems in the Central region.

He also suggested the government improve the water-retention areas in the central regions as well.

"We will make a new proposal to the government next week to resolve the flood problem which will cost only Bt100 billion," he said.

The government will hold another public forum to hear people's opinions on the project on November 22.

Stop Global Warming Association (SGWA) president Srisuwan Janya said he will file a complaint to the Office of the Auditor after finding that people who participated in the ongoing public forum were given money to attend it.


-- The Nation 2013-11-14

Sorry, your masters have decided what they're going to do and how they're going to cut up the rake-off cake, it's none of your business, you plebs.

tuna - the most famous fish in Thailand

I always thought it was tilapia.