Decreasing Floodwaters Evident in Many Areas

(15/11/2011)

Floodwaters are decreasing in many areas in Bangkok and the provinces, showing a sign of improvement in the overall flooding situation in Thailand. Speaking at the Flood Relief Operations Center at the Energy Complex in Bangkok, Director-General of the Royal Irrigation Department Chalit Damrongsak stated that water drainage by the Department had been carried out as planned. It is expected that the water level in the sea will become lower after November 16, thus facilitating the draining of water from various rivers. Certain low-lying areas in the provinces are still suffering from stagnant water. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) believes that the problem of stagnant water in Bangkok will ease soon, as the city administration is operating water drainage around the clock. It has recruited an additional 400 volunteers to collect garbage, because a large volume of waste has had to be left uncollected during the flooding period. The Flood Relief Operations Center has also been asked to provide BMA with boats to help in garbage collection. Secretary to the Working Group on Water Management in Critical Areas, Anond Snidvong Na Ayudhaya, said that major flooded routes in Bangkok were likely to be opened to traffic within the next seven to ten days. The water level in the areas near the sea was mainly stable now and water pumps were being used to quickly drain water into the sea. He said that some roads in Samut Sakhon province might be used as a flood way to drain water in an effort to prevent flooding in Mueang and Maha Chai districts. Meanwhile, the Netherlands has expressed its readiness to work with Thai experts in tackling the flood problem in Thailand. Ambassador of the Netherlands to Thailand, H.E. Mr. Johannes Andries Boer, led a group of Dutch water experts to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on November 14. Prime Minister Yingluck thanked the ambassador and the group of experts for their advice in dealing with the problem, as the Netherlands is well-known for its expertise in flood control. She also told the authorities involved to consider adopting the useful advice. The Ministry of Energy and the Federation of Thai Industries are joining hands in encouraging flood-hit factories whose machines have been damaged to replace them with energy-saving machinery. Emphasis is placed on small and medium-sized enterprises. A budget of 1.5 billion baht, derived from the Energy Conservation Fund, will be set aside for the project. Each selected SME joining the project will receive a fund of up to 500,000 baht to change their machines. It is expected that at least 2,000 SMEs will be entitled to the subsidy. The Ministry of Energy and the Federation of Thai Industries will send experts to inspect damaged factories that need to replace their equipment.