Frustrated PM asks downstream and upstream people to understand water management system

[webfact]

Frustrated PM asks downstream and upstream people to understand water management system

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The prime minister yesterday pleaded for understanding from the people living both upstream and downstream over the current  venting of water from dams by the Royal Irrigation Department to ease flooding reasoning that it is the best way to prevent flooding upstream, and to prevent the recurrence of the worst flooding downstream as had happened  in 2011.

 

He pledged that the government would compensate those who were affected by flooding.

 

The prime minister made the comment after he was frustrated by reports that people living upstream and downstream were worried about the venting of water from dams.

 

Upstream residents wanted water now flooded their farmlands and houses to be quickly drained as more downpours could further deteriorate the current flooding, but downstream people also were worried that the venting could worsen the flooding situation along the river banks.

 

Although the flood situation is showing some signs of improvement in the northern region, but many areas are still affected as more rains are still expected in the areas.

 

The continual downpour forced irrigation officials to vent water out of dams, causing and worsening flooding in low-lying areas downstream.

 

Frustrated Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha admitted that the government was working to improve water management but was faced with the difficulty of many residents refusing to allow venting fearing that their properties would be flooded.

 

But he said what everyone must understand is that there are two main bodies of water.

 

One above the Chao Phraya dam and the second body was behind the dam or downstream.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/frustrated-pm-asks-downstream-upstream-people-understsnd-water-management-system/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-10-04

[HoboKay]

But there is only ONE body with authority and ability to mitigate the issue?

 

He looks upset, was it Prawit's buffoonery again?

Edited October 4, 2016 by HoboKay

[webfact]

PM asks people to cooperate with govt to prevent flooding

  

BANGKOK, 4 September 2016 (NNT) - Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha urged people to cooperate with the government in preventing flood water after heavy rains in many areas. 

Gen Prayut said a flood prevention goal was not met as farmers in several areas did not want the government to release water into their farmlands. Many farmers wanted to keep their crops even after the government had promised to financially compensate for their loss later. 

The premier also said it was difficult to reduce flood water from streets and roads in Bangkok due to heavy rain. However, he said the capital city would not experience another flood crisis like in the year 2011. 

Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning Director-General Monton Sudprasert said he was confident in the flood prevention system for low-lying areas in the Central Plains particularly from Nakhon Sawan to Ayutthaya. 

Flood walls have so far been built along rivers and canals in 77 communities in 32 provinces to protect homes and heritage sites.

 

-- nnt 2016-10-04

[ratcatcher]

18 minutes ago, HoboKay said:

But there is only ONE body with authority and ability to mitigate the issue?

 

He looks upset, was it Prawit's buffoonery again?

He looks upset,

 

He always looks upset.               It's what makes him so popular.

[Alive]

He looks upset because Bangkok's bowels are backed up all the way to the north again.

[Eric Loh]

He is at it again this morning at government house. He ask OTOP vendors to innovate something he can eat to stop his unhappy mood. Then turning to the reporters, he said that when he is angry, they are the group he will vent. Laughable stuff from a leader some posters here adore. 

[colinneil]

Frustrated  PM asks people to understand the water management system 

Only problem there isnt 1, just lucky amulets and hope for no floods.

[BuckBee]

I think he needs understand it himself :-)
amazing to think he ordering farmers stop there crop as no water, know needs water run off :-/
this problem been ongoing for years, it needs massive development and would be better investment than submarines lol .
If he had a brain this would of been top of the agenda within first year of his coup & we would of been in physical development stage by now .

Trouble is these guys are dumber than the farm hics it just money and inbred class that gives them the position & feeling of superiority when in fact they are not skilled enough to make a good purchase decision at tesco lotus .

Few amulets and a monk will be useful lol monk could be useful if he have a shovel :-)

[jaltsc]

"The prime minister yesterday pleaded for understanding from the people living both upstream and downstream over the current  venting of water from dams ..."

 

How can he expect them to understand something like that when they don't even understand that they are supposed to stop at red light or stop sign?

[Tatsujin]

Dumb and dumber.

 

Stop wasting huge amounts of cash on stupid projects and purchases and trips and commit to a fully integrated countrywide water management system a la Korea or other similar projects.

 

Would cost a lot initially but would recoup costs relatively quickly plus provide mass employment, provide limitless electric power, give investors confidence that the flooding situation has been resolved once and for all and move the country forwards.

 

But it's Thailand, not sure looking further ahead than the ends of their noses deep deep in the trough will ever happen.

[klauskunkel]

"The water is following our roadmap. The upstream water will flow downstream, but then make a U-turn and vanish into potholes created by our local government officials for exactly this purpose. It will then resurface during the dry season and be used to grow the rice we will sell to China."

Edited October 4, 2016 by klauskunkel

[DM07]

Please, dear Gene...PM: explain the great plan to me!

I beg you, enlighten us!

[AGareth2]

now he knows how Canute felt

[maoro2013]

It is the government's fault remembering the blame cast on the previous government for the same thing.

 

I hope the current government gets a serve.

[ChrisY1]

The management system of flood water and drainage should be, as we all know, be controlled by water management experts.........a resource the Thai government does not have, and they simply don't understand this....their experts are not experts, not adequately qualified and therefore,  just don't know what to do.

Additionally, they're persuaded by local village headmen and local government people who also have very limited knowledge.

Bangkok won't flood.....an absolutely inane comment to ever make!

[biggles45]

"Many farmers wanted to keep their crops even after the government had promised to financially compensate for their loss later. "

 

Trust me, I am from the government !! "...........Can you blame them, lots of hands the compensation could be side tracked to.

[elgordo38]

Gotcha general we understand. Thailand is Bangkok and then there is the rest of us? Do you have a name for us. We know Bangkoks nick name is "The Chosen Few" I guess the rest of us are just "The Great Unwashed Masses." Please pass a few crumbs our way. 

[elgordo38]

18 minutes ago, BuckBee said:

Water management could move thailand forward massively in agriculture & industrial development as both heavy users of water & need environment stability .

Singapore is light years ahead of Thailand in water management. I watched their water plan on TV and it blew me away. 

[elgordo38]

1 hour ago, maoro2013 said:

It is the government's fault remembering the blame cast on the previous government for the same thing.

 

I hope the current government gets a serve.

Nope just a pass. Article 44 equals a get out of jail free card. 

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

555 so funny. When he spend the B 350 bn the previous government budgeted for a integrated water management system on drought relief. Me and others warned on TV that they will come to regret it later. The later have however arrived earlier than what I expected. I would say that 2017 would be when the real flood strikes, say about 2 months before the election ? The reason for this is that the raining season is coming to an end and the water build up is not at the same level as 2011. In 2011 the flood was already at Singburi in June and hit BKK in September. During 2011 the combination of local rain in BKK, the run off from the north and tides caused the flood to be very bad. This year the bulk of the run off will hit BKK after the rain in BKK have decreased. Karma is a bi...

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, Alive said:

He looks upset because Bangkok's bowels are backed up all the way to the north again.

He is regressing back in time to when he was a general surrounded by handmaidens. 

[Pepper1959]

If there is one country that seems to have developed a whole of nation management system for its water and managed flooding to the best of its ability is the Netherlands. I know it has been working on it for literally centuries. However, at some point, Thailand has to adopt an integrated national water management system and I think this is one nation I would be interested in looking at if I was in government and genuinely interested in controlling annual floods. Both countries are similar  in some respects, large tracts of land suffering flooding on a year basis, but one has controlled their's whilst the other tells its citizens to suck eggs.

[maxcorrigan]

3 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

now he knows how Canute felt

Canute knew exactly what he was doing. he knew he could not stop the tide, and wanted to prove it to his subjects that he was not a god as they thought, this bloke on the other hand thinks he is a god and knows pretty much about everything and does not need to learn!

[edwinchester]

Thailand's water management system is broken. Simple as that.

In any average year the country receives, through rainfall, about 8 times the amount of water it requires. Out of that huge surplus of rainfall it manages to capture only about half of the countries needs.

Only a few months ago almost the whole country was stricken by the worst drought in 3 decades. Now we have flooding. Almost all the major dams in the country are only half full so there is genuine concern that next year there will be further water shortages.

Time to bite the bullet and pay real experts even if, horror of horrors, they aren't homegrown.

[HoboKay]

7 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Thailand's water management system is broken. Simple as that.

In any average year the country receives, through rainfall, about 8 times the amount of water it requires. Out of that huge surplus of rainfall it manages to capture only about half of the countries needs.

Only a few months ago almost the whole country was stricken by the worst drought in 3 decades. Now we have flooding. Almost all the major dams in the country are only half full so there is genuine concern that next year there will be further water shortages.

Time to bite the bullet and pay real experts even if, horror of horrors, they aren't homegrown.

 

Those figures are shocking, care to share a link to the data, I'm perplexed to how that's even possible in an agricultural based country?

 

That'd explain the sunken Central Plains with its water table exploited to make up for the shortfall over decades of mismanagement.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

Why not form a committee to discuss the problem?  At least it would look as if something is being done.  

 

The emoticon is just in case anyone thinks I am being serious.

[edwinchester]

15 minutes ago, HoboKay said:

 

Those figures are shocking, care to share a link to the data, I'm perplexed to how that's even possible in an agricultural based country?

 

That'd explain the sunken Central Plains with its water table exploited to make up for the shortfall over decades of mismanagement.

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/10/thailand-breaking-cycle-flooding-drought/

 

Here's an article that sums up the current situation very well.

[Xircal]

5 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

The management system of flood water and drainage should be, as we all know, be controlled by water management experts.........a resource the Thai government does not have, and they simply don't understand this....their experts are not experts, not adequately qualified and therefore,  just don't know what to do.

Additionally, they're persuaded by local village headmen and local government people who also have very limited knowledge.

Bangkok won't flood.....an absolutely inane comment to ever make!

 

He should consider taking advice from the Netherlands. Half the country is located below sea level but employ efficient water management techniques to prevent flooding. http://www.dutchwatersector.com/drr/

 

[billd766]

5 hours ago, elgordo38 said:

Singapore is light years ahead of Thailand in water management. I watched their water plan on TV and it blew me away. 

 

Singapore is also a very small island state  of some 719 sq/km and a population in 2015 estimated at 5.6xx,xxx people.

 

In a small area water management is easy but not so easy in Thailand with a land area of over 500,xxx sq/km and a population approaching 70,xxx,xxx people.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, HoboKay said:

 

Those figures are shocking, care to share a link to the data, I'm perplexed to how that's even possible in an agricultural based country?

 

That'd explain the sunken Central Plains with its water table exploited to make up for the shortfall over decades of mismanagement.

 

This was the water level at the major dams in Thailand this morning at 07.00.

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en

 

And this for the medium dams at the same time.

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/show_sm_dam.php?lang=en