What’s happened to our crisis-warning system
By Sasithorn Ongdee
The Nation
 

 

BANGKOK: -- A flash flood in Bang Saphan, Prachuap Khiri Khan, this week swamped over 1,000 households, severed road and rail arteries to and from the South and led to the partial evacuation of a hospital. More worrying still, it revealed a glaring hole in preventive measures that could and should have been taken by authorities.

 

A clip of rapid runoff from the Pong Samsip and Khlong Loi reservoirs, north of Bang Saphan district, went viral on the social media early this week along with rumours that dams had been opened.

 

A few days later, the Royal Irrigation Department issued a statement to say that the runoff pictured was actually from the reservoirs’ spillway, not from the lakes. But by that time another clip had gone viral. This one featured an interview with the chief of the Royal Irrigation Department’s Water Management and Hydrology Office, who announced that the authority had no power to issue any warnings, manage evacuations or set up help centres. Its task instead was to report the water situation to relevant agencies. Whether those reports were then used to issue a warning was down to the administrative leader in Bang Saphan.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30304011

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-01-13

42 minutes ago, webfact said:

What’s happened to our crisis-warning system

 

Covered up in the name of SAVING FACE 

"Royal Irrigation Department’s Water Management and Hydrology Office, who announced that the authority had no power to issue any warnings"

 

Finding a Thai who will take responsibility is not so easy. 

No power to issue warnings

Is that a joke? Should not matter whether they have power or not to issue warnings.

Common sense says if there is danger alert people, oops sorry  nobody here ever takes responsibility for anything.

There are two parts to any "crises warning system" .

One part is those who issue wanings, the other is an informed and aware population that listens to warnings and acts on them intelligently,

That second part is often missing in Thailand as well as jn other countries.

 

Edited January 13, 20179 yr by IMA_FARANG
corect typos

"that the runoff pictured was actually from the reservoir's’ spillway, not from the lakes."

they must not know how stupid that remark is,if water going over spillway,its coming

from behind the dam,which is what they call the  lakes. 

regards Worgeordie

3 hours ago, webfact said:

...an interview with the chief of the Royal Irrigation Department’s Water Management and Hydrology Office, who announced that the authority had no power....

 

If the RID's WMHO has no power.....

 

Would this be a job for HAII - Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute.....?

 

Or, could it be for TIWRM - Thailand Integrated Water Resource Management....?

 

Perhaps, just set up a brand new DSMBFE - Department Seeking More Budget For Expenditure......

 

 

Troll post removed.  

People are never satisfied, give them a drought and they moan,give them water and they moan. 

A country in a perpetual state of crisis, the system must have worn out long ago.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

What’s happened to our crisis-warning system
 

It's in crisis...

Floods and alleged negligence.  Where does buck stop this time?  Sorry, there's immunity this time.

Edited January 13, 20179 yr by pookiki
grammar

8 hours ago, webfact said:

More worrying still, it revealed a glaring hole in preventive measures that could and should have been taken by authorities.

Hmm your only on the short list if it does not cost money. 

It's all fake here nobody cares any more all about me me me saving faces BS again and again where does the buck stop TIT

I thought Thai Visa was the crises warning system.  

 

Problem? What problem?