Yingluck-era program will be for it: DPM
Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai reported that Yingluck Shinawatra’s water management initiative could be revived for$ 6 trillion ringgit in a bid to stop frequent flood and drought.
He claimed that because the problem is a federal goal, a significant investment is required to address it.
” The problem was first raised by the Yingluck state. In 2011, a budget of 2–3 trillion baht was set apart for the job. Then, it will cost about 5–6 trillion to carry out the project”, Mr Phumtham said.
It is a sizable sum of money, but it will be worthwhile over the long run.
He made the remarks while touring Nan state in northern China, where he examined flood relief efforts and provided items for flood victims.
” Prime Minister Paetongtarn]Shinawatra] is concerned for the disaster victims, and she is frustrated that there is nothing she can do to support them pending the formation of a new government. The caretaker government is presently assisting itself with every possible way, according to Mr. Phumtham.
When the new government assumes company, the waters management job may be presented for thought, he said.
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra stated last week in a nearby conference that the new authorities must carry out a number of “megaprojects” over the course of its term, particularly to handle the country’s persistent flooding and drought issues.
As of Sunday, storms were also reported in five counties in the North, especially Chiang Rai, Nan, Phayao, Phetchabun and Phrae, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation ( DDPM).
Between Aug 16 and 22, landslides claimed the lives of 22 individuals– 13 of whom were killed in Phuket. The flood has affected 22 regions, displacing 30, 807 people across the country.
Even though the floods in some areas have subsided, Chaovalit Gunkham, an assistant governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand ( Egat ), stated that Egat will monitor water levels across the country’s main river basins.
As of Sunday, the Sirikit Dam in Uttaradit territory, one of the main rivers in the middle North, was about 70 % complete. According to Mr. Chaovalit, it is still able to absorb an extra 2.9 million square meters of run-off.
According to Mr. Chaovalit, the groundwater transfer rate has been lowered to 3 million square meters per day to prevent flooding downstream and conserve water for the upcoming dry season.
Surasee Kittimonthon, secretary-general of the Office of the National Water Resources ( ONWR ), Sunday said persistent rain has caused water levels along the Mekong River to continue to rise, affecting many low-lying areas in the North and Northeast.
He said the ONWR has sent an emergency notice to the Mekong River Commission Secretariat ( MRCS), requesting increased flood surveillance and daily reports from water stations in Chiang Rai, Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen and Ubon Ratchathani.
In Sukhothai, the Yom River burst through its institutions Sunday, inundating villages and farm in Sawankhalok, Sri Samrong, Kong Krailat and Muang regions, with flood waters reaching as high as 50cm.
Suchart Theekhasuk, the government of Sukhothai, set up a comfort function center to assist the displaced villagers.
City Hall claimed it has already implemented a number of measures to stop run-offs from the North from causing widespread flood in Bangkok because more rainfall is still forecast.
City Hall is carefully monitoring water degrees along the Chao Phraya River, according to Bangkok lieutenant governor Wissanu Sapsompol, who is also in charge of ONWR.
” The flow]of the Chao Phraya River ] through Ayutthaya’s Bang Sai city was not at a worrying amount immediately. Run-off from Nan is expected to take about five days to arrive inland, and we will know]the severity of the situation ] two days in advance, when the liquid reaches Bang Sai”, Mr Wissanu said.
Mr. Wissanu claimed that authorities had used sandbags to raise and lower the level of storm walls along the Chao Phraya to stop flooding. He claimed that to allow rapid reaction in emergencies, manpower and resources, including sandbags and water pumps, have been mobilized to flood-prone regions throughout the money.