Phuket building permit checks ramped up for flood-prevention

[webfact]

Phuket building permit checks ramped up for flood-prevention
The Phuket News


V/Gov Somkiet pointed that many residents suffered in the recent downpours earlier this month due to floodwaters not draining properly. Photo: The Phuket News / file

PHUKET: -- Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkhaosutthirak has ordered the land allocation committee to be more strict and to inspect projects when granting building permits for Phuket housing development projects, including condominiums, for fear of flood damage to nearby communities.

V/Gov Somkiet delivered the order at a meeting at Phuket Land Office yesterday (August 18), where he addressed members of the land allocation committee, including land officials and Wongsakon Noonchookan from the Phuket office of the Department of Public Works Town and Country Planning.

The land allocation committee is instrumental as it must approve building permits for all housing developments, including construction, major maintenance and upgrades and renovations.

“The committee must be very strict from now on when granting any permits to build anything on the island, especially housing projects or condominiums,” V/Gov Somkiet said.

“We have about 10 projects waiting for their permits to be approved so they can start their construction this year, so scrutiny is a must from paperwork to the construction site because now we have many problems such as landslides, wall collapses, floodwaters becoming trapped in areas below sea level, and water contamination.”

V/Gov Somkiet pointed that many residents suffered in the recent downpours earlier this month due to floodwaters not draining properly.

“This was because in many areas the floodwaters’ path [to flow away] was blocked by construction projects,” he said.

“The more attention officials pay to details of all documents proposing new projects and survey the area for any discrepancy or potential threat, the fewer problems we will have to deal with later,” he said.

The order to ramp up building permit checks follows hundreds of residents in Nai Yang having their houses flooded for days after torrential downpours soaked the island.

Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong personally attended to hearing the residents’ complaints and following up on action to mitigate the flood damage, while Royal Thai Navy Marines were called in to render assistance.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-building-permit-checks-ramped-up-for-flood-prevention-53714.php


-- Phuket News 2015-08-20

[steelepulse]

How about a moratorium effective immediately? The island is over built as it is. In a further step, how about zoning laws moving forward? Unfortunately wishful thinking with the greediness here in both the public and private sector.

[Jimi007]

A bit too late it would seem. Buildings are already blocking drainage, nothing is said about doing anything about the existing problem, only about new projects…