Touring PM urges solution to floods

Touring PM urges solution to floods
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, heart, visits Kanchanaburi on Saturday. ( Photo: Piyarach Chongcharoen )

On the next day of his four-province journey, Kanchanaburi’s prime minister Srettha Thavisin on Saturday issued a directive to local authorities to immediately launch flood prevention efforts.

The PM wants&nbsp, to get initial- hand information around different issues, including water resource management and “potential undeveloped tourism sites”, his spokespeople state.

The prime minister made his visit to Kanchanaburi by implementing a plan to address persistent flooding in the Muang district’s metropolitan area, which has resulted in economic damage and lost people’s livelihoods.

Mr. Srettha claimed that the government had allocated funds to help the state with overflow problems and that it anticipated that authorities would finish the project sooner than large rains would have been.

He said waters storage places, known as bear’s ears, may reduce flood. He requested that these places be expanded ahead of the rainy season.

According to Kanchanaburi government Thossapol Chaikomin, two municipalities, Muang and Pak Phraek, are prone to flooding each year because they have poor drainage systems and are lower- lying.

The severe flooding, caused by operate- off from hills, affects more than 5, 000 families with 17, 000 residents and hurts the state’s hospitality, he said.

Panrop Techamongkalapiwat, assistant commander of the Interior Ministry’s Department of Public Works and Town Planning, said the ministry has conducted a research on the disaster prevention program and come up with a plan to tackle the inundation.

The State Railway of Thailand and the Department of Royal Irrigation are among the parties involved in the plan, which also calls for the construction of a major drain system to deflect water into the Kwai Yai River and strengthen drain services.

According to him, the project is divided into three phases, with a budget of 780 million baht, stretching from 2024 to 2028.

Another$ 150 million baht drainage project that would divert water to the Mae Klong River could help Muang district’s flood problem.