Govt gearing up for flood prevention

Water is being diverted from the Yom River basin to the Nan River in a bid to prevent heavy flooding in areas downstream on the Chao Phraya River, Wim Rungwattanachinda secretary to Prime Minister's Office Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongpaisal, said on Thursday.

Mr Wim said there is now a large volume of water in the Yom River basin because of continuous rain in the upper North and there are no reservoirs to take the excess water in that part of the country, unlike in the Wang, Ping and Nan river basins.

Bhumibol Dam in Tak province takes water from the Wang and Ping river basins, while Sirikit Dam in Uttaradit and Naresuan Dam in Phitsanulok province can absorb water from the Nan River basin.

Therefore, it was necessary to divert water from the Yom River basin to the Nan River basin to reduce the quantity of water flowing southwards.

Mr Wim said the water is now being diverted through Khlong Hok Bat passing rice and lotus fields in Phichit and Phitsanulok provinces to swamps already prepared for this purpose with a budget of 120 billion baht. They include Bung Rakam, Bung Takhreng, Bung Raman and Bung Khi Raeng in Phitsanulok province.

The Royal Irrigation Department has a plan to use the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat province to drain water as quickly as possible out to the sea. It has been instructed to issue a warning for people living along the river to keep the situation under watch.

According weather forecasters there will be heavy rain in the North and Central regions from Sept 13-17. This will result in more water flowing into the Chao Phraya River.

The Royal Irrigation Department plans to release water through the Chao Phraya Dam at the rate of 1,800 - 2,000 cubic metres per second to push existing water in the river to the sea.

Therefore, the water level in the Chao Phraya River in Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, and Ayutthaya would rise by between 20 and 50 centimetres.

The department has sent a warning to Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya, telling people to be ready for possible flooding and to move their belongings to high ground in advance, Mr Wim said.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has put all 50 districts in the capital on alert for possible flooding, Bangkok deputy governor Malinee Sukvejvorakij said on Thursday.

Dr Malinee said all districts were told to install water pumps in flood-prone spots, so that rainwater could be quickly drained away.

People in 27 communities, involving more than 1,200 households in 13 districts, not protected by floodwalls along the Chao Phraya River should be ready to remove their belongings to higher places.

The BMA had earlier drained water from some major canals, including Khlong Saen Saep, particularly the parts running through Phetchaburi, Sukhumvit and Khlong Tan roads.

In Sukhothai, the floodwaters have started to recede, as damaged levees along the Yom River have been repaired, reports said on Thursday morning.

More than 500 soldiers had installed gabions (rectangular wire mesh baskets filled with rocks, concrete or sand and soil) to reinforce the barrier of big bags, weighing about 2.5 tonnes each, the reports said.

About 1,000 sandbags were also used to strengthen the flood barrier.

Authorities brought in more than 50 large pumps to drain water in flooded areas of the lower northern province.

Vehicles can now use many of the roads hit by flooding and many merchants had resumed business, the reports said.

At 11am Thursday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra boarded a helicopter for a flight to inspect inundated areas in the central province of Ayutthaya, and visit affected people there.

Ms Yingluck was then due to travel to Nakhon Sawan and Sukhothai to assess the flood situation and the repaired levees. In Sukhothai, she was to be briefed on the overall situation by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk.

Overflow from the Yom River swept into Sukhothai early Monday morning, breaking through eroded levees beneath flood walls and swamping parts of the city.

Share your thoughts

Discussion 1 : 16/09/2012 at 06:28 AM
jgriff 18 - Please link us to an article that says the $350b baht went missing. I have never seen such a claim.
Discussion 2 : 14/09/2012 at 11:59 PM
johninbkk Once again you are completely wrong. Spin it anyway you want. I notice you do not comment on the part about the accusation of the corruption with the 350B baht in the north. Please direct the readers here where it will show that ALL the money is accounted for.
Discussion 3 : 14/09/2012 at 09:39 AM
jgriff 15 - "they keep saying that there will " Be no floods " Actually, they haven't. In fact, Yingluck has repeatedly said there *will* be some flooding. "they forced through an emergency bill for $350 B baht for flood protection. Now most of the money is not accounted for" The$350b bill was submitted using an executive decree. The complaint was that PTP has only spent a small percent of that. The unspent money is completely accounted for.
Discussion 4 : 14/09/2012 at 08:44 AM
"Govt gearing up for flood prevention"... isn't that what they were supposed to be doing right after last year's flooding with the big amount of money they pocketed in a hurry?
Discussion 5 : 14/09/2012 at 03:12 AM
abbub dis 12 I don't see anyone here say that they blame the rain on the PTP or saying that the Dems would do better. The PTP's problem is that they keep saying that there will " Be no floods " and that they forced through an emergency bill for $350 B baht for flood protection. Now most of the money is not accounted for, there is flooding and there is a report from a respected person saying alot of the money has gone to corruption. By the way that person was transfered. If the PTP would was not so corrupt as well as the Dems and almost all politicians the country just might come out on top.
Discussion 6 : 14/09/2012 at 01:51 AM
abbub 12 - Last year, PTP sacrificed those who voted for PTP outside of Bangkok to save those who didn't vote for PTP inside of Bangkok. PTP historically polled the lowest at the height of the floods. Last year, the Dems sacrificed those who voted for PTP outside of Bangkok to save those who didn't vote for PTP inside of Bangkok. The Dems *also* historically polled the lowest at the height of the floods. Think about that . . .
Discussion 7 : 13/09/2012 at 10:34 PM
According to the water levels posted daily on the Irrigation Department website, Bhumibol and Sirikit Dams are approximately 50% and 60% full. This time last year, in 2011, they were 90% and 100% full. Feel free to blame Thaksin for the low dam levels.
Discussion 8 : 13/09/2012 at 10:31 PM
Well no surprise the usual red shirt hater crowd comes out in force to blame rain on the Pheu Thai. Having said that, it is not just a question of know-how but time and expertise. Have they done enough? No. But believing the democrats would have done any better is lunacy. If the floods do come, and the PT again sacrifices its working class voters in the outlying area for the sake of sparing the inner city residents, they risk losing a more votes yet again. And rightly so... Problem is not the Pheu Thai do nothing, it is they cannot do anything because the powerful pro-military BKK governor and democrats will never allow the PT to save the outlying areas at the expense of "their own" inside the city. As the governor stated last year, he would not sacrifice "his" voters.
Discussion 9 : 13/09/2012 at 09:49 PM
Redshirts commenter will find something to blame its flood situation from the past government or past coup. ummm more and more corruption
Discussion 10 : 13/09/2012 at 09:46 PM
At 11am Thursday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra boarded a helicopter for a flight to inspect inundated areas in the central province of Ayutthaya, and visit affected people there... She might just have sight seeing from above the helicopter. So she can not understand peoples lives getting flooded, suggestion, she should have a two night stay there and let see what she would felt.
Discussion 11 : 13/09/2012 at 08:52 PM
Govt gearing up for flood prevention Govt "stuck in reverse gear" it maybe should read ?
Discussion 12 : 13/09/2012 at 08:51 PM
Quote The Royal Irrigation Department plans to release water through the Chao Phraya Dam at the rate of 1,800 - 2,000 cubic metres per second to push existing water in the river to the sea. Unquote Does someone understand the logic behind that?
Discussion 13 : 13/09/2012 at 07:51 PM
It must be so reassuring to the people of Nan to know that they are going to be flooded so people in Bangkok aren't, and so our PM can (maybe) keep one of her myriad of otherwise broken promises, ie that Bangkok won't flood.
Discussion 14 : 13/09/2012 at 07:30 PM
Indeed so ggh, I guess that is why the anti government mob are keeping quiet. One point not easy for many to understand is there is a limit to how fast water can flow given the gentle gradient of the river basin. Once that limit is passed you get a flood. The real test is how long it takes to remove this excess water.
Discussion 15 : 13/09/2012 at 07:21 PM
500 soldiers from Royal Thai army working to prevent flood? Does not PTP have their own red arme to help them? Or can the Red shirt arme only put buildings on fire and shoot with M76?
Discussion 16 : 13/09/2012 at 07:07 PM
Sounded too me like that`s what she said a year ago ?
Discussion 17 : 13/09/2012 at 06:48 PM
Disc2 - I read your comment and thought you were being sarcastic. With 350,000,000,000 baht ($11.6 BILLION!)available, you don't think a bit more could have been done? It's not as though the rainy season has been particularly severe and it's barely started yet. Holy cow, I'm looking at that figure now... $11 billion dollars!! That's a truly astronomical figure. And for all of Peua Thai's posturing and grandstanding, they've fallen at the first fence. As a dyed-in-the-wool red shirt, you MUST have been hoping for a better result than this.
Discussion 18 : 13/09/2012 at 06:27 PM
It has been instructed to issue a warning for people living along the river to keep the situation under watch. Yeah , you watch us stuff this up too ! Just throw more taxpayer billions at it yingluck , that worked really well , not !
Discussion 19 : 13/09/2012 at 04:03 PM
Sounds to me like they are certainly on top of the situation. Unfortunately there is only so much that can be done.

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