Flood Management on the Right Track

(30/10/2011)

Justice Minister, Police General Pracha Promnog, in his capacity as Director of the Flood Relief Operations Center, has stressed that the Government was on the right track in flood management in the country. He called a meeting of relevant agencies to follow up on the operations to deal with the current flooding situation on October 29, when the Flood Relief Operations Center was moved from Don Mueang Airport to the Energy Complex on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, where the Ministry of Energy is located. The new location is well-protected from the flooding, and it is about two meters above mean sea level. The hotline of the center remains 1111 ext. 5 (ext. 9 for English). As for efforts to control the situation in Bangkok, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said that the Government has worked out measures to accelerate water drainage during the period from October 25 to November 5. She stated that the situation in flood-hit areas in the city was expected to improve in early November. She also urged local residents to stay updated with information released by the Flood Relief Operations Center and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Speaking in the program “Yingluck Government Meets the People,” broadcast on Radio Thailand and National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (Television Channel 11), the Prime Minister explained that the Government was speeding up water drainage in both the eastern and western parts of Bangkok. The efforts would help reduce the volume of water flowing into the city and would control the water level at a low level, as well. She said that the flooding situation in the central region is returning to normalcy, with a reduced volume of water passing through the Chao Phraya Dam. The water level in Ayutthaya province, particularly in Bang Sai district, is also decreasing, thus reducing the water volume in Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and northern Bangkok. The Prime Minister said that 27 provinces are still suffering from floods, while 36 others are starting rehabilitation programs. More than 9,800 factories inside and outside industrial estates have been damaged. They are located in eight provinces, namely Chai Nat, Nakhon Sawan, Nonthaburi, Pathum thani, Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Ang Thong, and Uthai Thani. Provincial governors whose provinces did not face the problem of stagnant flood water have been instructed to help the flood-stricken areas in Bangkok and nearby provinces by sending food supplies. Many major tourist destinations, such as those in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, and Samui Island in Surat Thani, have not been affected by the current floods. They all welcome visitors.