Thread: Thailand: Smith warns of dam peril, fears grow of another massive flood disaster

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Residents in Sena, Ayutthaya hit by 20cm of flooding due to discharge of water from Bhumibol Dam

Locals vent ire over discharge of dams' water | Bangkok Post: news

Locals vent ire over discharge of dams' water

Ayutthaya pleads not to have to bear the brunt

• Published: 9/02/2012 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Angry Ayutthaya residents want the government to better regulate water releases from the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams after recent discharges triggered flash floods in riverside communities in Sena district.


Closer to theheavens
The main chapel of WatPradu Lokachet, in Sena district of Ayutthaya, is being lifted higher as a safeguard against floods. The chapel will sit on a new foundation that will make it almost 3 metres higher.Work is expected to finish this month. Sena is among many districts in the province vulnerable to seasonal floods.
SUNTHORN PONGPAO

The two northern dams need more room to hold fresh rainwater.

However, authorities should study what the appropriate water release rate is so that the run-off will not increase water levels in the Chao Phraya River too much, Bancha Pandi, a 42-year-old farmer, said.

"Please don't let downstream people like us bear the brunt of flooding throughout the year," Mr Bancha said, making a plea to the government.

The two dams _ the Bhumibol Dam on the Ping River and the Sirikit Dam on the Nan River _ are two major tools to control the run-off from the two rivers which flow into the Chao Phraya River.

Since the government told the dam operators to speed up water discharges to provide room for new water inflows in the wet season, water discharged from the dams caused the Noi River to overflow and flood six villages in Sena district this week.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday promised the government would look into the problem to better regulate water discharges.

She said the government needed to reduce water in the dams to prepare for rainfall, but believed villagers would not face a recurrence of severe floods because the water "is still manageable".

The latest inspection found that overflow from the Noi River caused only a 10cm flood and this encroached deep into the land only 5-10m from the banks, Ayutthaya governor Witthaya Phiewphong said.

Meanwhile, residents of the Tha Chin River Basin yesterday called on government authorities to speed the drainage of water out of farmland before the rainy season arrives.

Surat Thawatyothin, a member of Tha Chin River Basin committee, said there was still lots of water remaining from last year's floods in Sing Buri, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pathom and Suphan Buri provinces. Mr Surat was speaking at a meeting of representatives from four river basin committees.

He blasted the government for failing to drain the water, which could make the flood situation worsen this year.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk, who took part in the river basin committee meeting, told river basin representatives the government would allocate a budget under the 350 billion baht water management scheme for projects proposed by the committees. The list of the projects should be submitted to the government by next July, he said.

Regarding large-scale dam projects, Mr Preecha said the premier had instructed the ministry to speed up the environmental impact assessment study process for each project because the EIA is considered "an obstacle to project development".

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

corn, peanut, and other produce, which are currently fetching high prices.

sadly not cassava

^ A piece on Cassava yesterday, didn't post it due to time...here...

Thai-ASEAN News Network - Cassava Pledging Have Not Opened in Many Provinces

Cassava Pledging Have Not Opened in Many Provinces

Locals question legality of discharge decision | Bangkok Post: news

Locals question legality of discharge decision

• Published: 10/02/2012 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Ayutthaya residents are questioning the constitutionality of the government's decision to order upstream dams to expedite water discharge and its plan to use 2 million rai of land for water retention in future floods.

Chatri Yooprasert, deputy chairman of the Ayutthaya provincial administration organisation (PAO), said he wanted to know whether the two decisions comply with Section 67 of the constitution which guarantees the rights of local communities to have a voice in state activities or projects.

He said locals would be affected by the plan to accelerate water discharge to areas downstream of the Bhumibol, Sirikit and Chao Phraya dams and the planned 2 million rai of "monkey cheek" water retention areas.

He said he doubted whether the government has held public hearings to gather input from locals if areas in their communities are at risk of being turned into weirs.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra earlier suggested the government would find about 2 million rai of land for water-retention purposes to minimise flood damage from any future mass run-off from the North that heads downstream.

The PAO deputy chairman said the government should tackle the flooding problem at its root by building floodways to drain water from the Chao Phraya River basin into the Gulf of Thailand.

Somnuek Suwannahong, 41, head of Village Group 5 in tambon Hua Wiang of Sena district, said all 65 homes in the village were submerged after the Noi River burst its banks on Tuesday. The breach, which has left the village under 1 metre of water, was caused by the recent release of water from the two dams, he claimed.

His community was first hit by flooding last July. Floodwaters finally started receding by the end of last year. Locals were delighted when the floodwater had dropped to 10cm in January. However, their joy vanished when the water level in the Noi River rapidly rose and the river burst its banks this week, sending floodwater rushing into their homes, said the village head. The residents have been living with floodwaters for eight months.

Sompit Khongsarai, 76, a resident, said the basement of her home never stays dry. In the past, her village has never flooded during the dry season.

Ayutthaya governor Witthaya Piewpong said four sluice gates must be urgently fixed to prevent flooding in Sena and nearby districts.

Mr Witthaya yesterday took senior officials on an inspection of flood-hit areas in Sena district.

Several areas in Sena and Phak Hai districts, which are located along the Noi River and part of Bang Ban district, are flooded.

The water level in the Noi River rose by almost 10cm yesterday, raising fears among riverside residents that floodwaters that have already hit their homes would grow higher.

Kitti Tancharoen, assistant governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, said days of heavy rains, rather than water discharges from the dams, caused the flooding in Sena district.

Thai-ASEAN News Network - Bangkok Rushes to Dredge Canals to Prevent Flooding

Bangkok Rushes to Dredge Canals to Prevent Flooding

UPDATE : 9 February 2012

The Bangkok governor orders dredging of all canals in the capital to prevent flooding. Each district is to proceed with flood prevention plans before the rainy season arrives without having to wait for a budget from the government. Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration or BMA officials have been preparing to prevent inundation before the rainy season begins.

Each district office and the Drainage and Sewerage Department have been assigned to dredge all canals immediately. Dredging of canals on Petchakasem Road is 30 percent complete and should be finished in a month.

The governor has asked all relevant agencies to carry out their flood prevention plans quickly and not to wait for a budget from the government.

In addition, the governor urged other agencies to cooperate with the BMA directly to prevent an overlap of work.

The Bangkok governor went on to comment that it was risky to store 90 percent of water in the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams and voiced support for the government's plan to discharge water from both dams.

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Govt ordered provinces near rivers to prepare for floods : National News Bureau of Thailand

Govt ordered provinces near rivers to prepare for floods

BANGKOK, 10 February 2012 (NNT) - The government has instructed governors of all provinces located near rivers to prepare for possible flooding.

During Thursday's Lower House meeting, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Preecha Rengsomboonsuk told the gathering MPs that the government is in the process of prompting all related parties to deal with this year's flood.

He added that the preparations include the instruction to the governors of all provinces situated near the Ping, Wang, Yom, Nan, Chao Phraya, and Sakae Krang rivers to come up with necessary preventive measures ready for possible inundation, just like the one seen last year.

According to Mr. Preecha, other programs to cope with the floods are the Gam-Ling, monkey cheek, water retention project, the drainage of floodwater into the sea and the dredging of the Chao Phraya River.

The Natural Resources Minister has also answered a question posted by one of the MPs on what the government's flood prevention measures in all 25 key water sources nationwide are, and how the government plans to convince the industrial sector and investors of its flood-prevention programs.

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Thai-ASEAN News Network - Floodwall Reinforced along Chao Phraya River



Floodwall Reinforced along Chao Phraya River

UPDATE : 10 February 2012

Officials are rushing to put up an embankment along the Chao Phraya River as part of the government's plans to prevent possible future flooding.

Angthong's Muang municipality technical staff are speeding up their mission to lay concrete to reinforce the current concrete embankment.

An additional embankment will be constructed along both sides of the Chao Phraya River. It's expected to be about three kilometers long. The embankment is being constructed to protect the province's economic zone and official administration centers.

The project is part of the government's precautionary plans to prevent flooding. The height of the reinforced concrete embankment will be increased from 7.5 meters to 10 meters above the mean level of the Chao Phraya River.

Ang Thong Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Chief Chatnarong Siriporn na Ratchasima said that the project placed an importance on economic areas and official places.

Chatnarong stated that his department is currently undergoing discussions with related agencies to request for an additional budget to heighten an embankment along the length of the Chao Phraya River from Singburi down to Ayutthaya Province. He has requested funding from eight to ten various bureaus.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has indicated that the current flooding in Ayutthaya Province is the result of the water released from major dams, namely the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams.

She has instructed Ayutthaya Provincial Governor Wittaya Pewpong to assist local residents who are being affected by the water discharge. In the meantime, the dam is continuing to discharge water, and the amount of water is expected to increase within the next two months. In response, Wittaya has assigned officials to protect the riverbanks and paddy fields.

In addition, Nakhon Sawan Governor Chairot Meedaeng said the premier and the Cabinet will inspect the progress of flood-prevention measures in the province on February 14 and 15.

The provincial governor added that there are many areas that are appropriate for natural water retention areas, including Beung Boraphet and other low-lying areas, as well as major tributaries of the Ping , Nan, and Chao Phraya rivers.

He claimed that in the event that officials are able to dredge all canals, they will be capable of receiving at least 1.5 billion cubic meters of water.

Dirty work helps inmates clean their conscience | Bangkok Post: news

Dirty work helps inmates clean their conscience

Prisoners nearing the end of their terms are giving back to society by doing a job nobody else wants to do

• Published: 11/02/2012 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Auan still wakes up behind bars, but he no longer feels the terrible confinement of being an inmate.


A mud-clogged sewer is dredged as City Hall sets about its flood prevention measures. The dredging work and other public services are usually carried out by inmates as part of their contributions to society. APICHART JINAKUL

For more than a month, Auan, who has been in Klongprem Central Prison for nearly five years, has got out of bed with a fresh feeling, eagerly seizing a rare opportunity to get outside the walls and help dredge the city's sewers.

The work is a part of state measures to prepare for floods in Bangkok later this year. But for Auan and the other inmates chosen to do this unpleasant but necessary job, the sewers give them the chance to recall their past misdeeds and plan for a brighter future when they are free.

"I can now comfort myself by thinking I'm not in jail," said Auan, comparing his new daily routine to the weekdays of a company employee.

"I wake up to go to work in the morning and come back in the evening. The only difference is that I don't sleep and get up at my house."

Auan is among 50 out of more than 6,000 inmates of the prison who are allowed to take turns doing state work or public service from 9am to 3pm every day, except Sunday. His current job is to remove mud and waste from sewers at Soi Yothin Phatthana near a section of the Ram Intra-At Narong expressway.

"The dredging gives me a chance to review myself and past mistakes caused by my rash acts. I was a slave to anger then," Auan said, without elaborating.



"If I had been more careful and sensible, I would have not ended up doing a job everyone dislikes."

But the dredging reminds him of the future, too. Among criteria used to pick inmates for jobs outside the prison is that their jail terms must be nearly at an end. Auan has only nine months left until he can walk free again.

Usually, only prisoners whose remaining sentences are less than two years and are known as "good-class prisoners" are granted temporary leave from prison to work under guard, said Auan's job supervisor Somchai Wongchalermroke, who also provides career training classes for inmates at Klongprem prison.

The inmates are trusted not to try to escape since they will soon be let free anyway.

They must also not be convicted of lese majeste or drug offences.

"We don't choose drug inmates because their habits can sway them to use the jobs as a way to buy drugs," Mr Somchai said.

Though officials carefully choose the inmates and instruct them to watch their behaviour while outside the prison, Mr Somchai, who has overseen the dredging job and other public service acts for 30 years, admits many passersby worry for their safety at the sight of the prisoners.

"So we work quietly and quickly in a bid to let people know we're doing good things for society," he said.

The effort has borne fruit as recently "many people have begun to smile at us. Some even give us food and water. So we're less stressed and more proud of our work", he said.

The sewers at Soi Yothin Phatthana where Auan is working are among 131 routes which the Corrections Department is hired by City Hall to clean.

Bangkok has spent 50 million baht on dredging 277 routes so that they have more room to hold floodwater, said Sanya Chenimit, chief of the city's Drainage and Sewerage Department.

He expected the dredging would be completed by May.

Auan and the other inmates chosen to do the job will also get some wages as well as having their prison sentences reduced, depending on the number of days that they work.

One day of them working means one day can be taken off their sentence, Mr Somchai said.

Auan's friend, Op, is of the same opinion when he was asked about the dredging work.

The former tattooist, who has one year left in jail, said the job helped him reflect on his past and the mistakes he made that he can never clean up.

But working outdoors amid the stench and dirty conditions also reminds him he has the chance to reform and so he relishes his approaching freedom.

"For three years I have not seen the world. I'm just happy when seeing electric trains outside," Op said. "Now I am learning how beautiful freedom is."

Lop Buri River water level surges | Bangkok Post: news

AYUTTHAYA

Lop Buri River water level surges

• Published: 11/02/2012 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The water level in the Lop Buri River in Ayutthaya's Bang Pahan district surged by one metre yesterday after huge amounts of water rushed in from the Chao Phraya.

The Royal Irrigation Department began pushing water into the Lop Buri River to lower the level in the Chao Phraya River which had risen sharply in the past few days.

The Chao Phraya Dam upstream in Chai Nat recently released a lot of water, flooding many low-lying areas of Ayutthaya's Sena and Phak Hai districts.

Thonglor Yupumpreuk, 56, inspector of tambon Samton in Bang Pahan district, said the rising water level had not troubled local residents because the Lop Buri River could still take more water.

He said many residents disagreed with the government's plan to use 2 million rai of land, particularly in Ayutthaya, to serve as water flood retention areas.

"If "monkey cheek" water retention areas are mainly in Ayutthaya, the floods could never be tackled. Can the government prevent floodwaters and northern run-off from flowing into Pathum Thani and Bangkok like last year?" he said.

Workers and staff at Wat Chaiwattanaram in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district yesterday raced against time to pump out floodwater from the ancient temple following days of heavy rain.

The temple's large water pumps installed near the Chao Phraya River pumped out water every three hours for four consecutive days, said a local source.

Heavy downpours coupled with water discharges from the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams caused the water level in the Chao Phraya River to rise rapidly, particularly at the section of the river in front of the historic temple.

Supoj Prommanot, director of the Fine Arts Department's third regional office, said the rising water posed no immediate threat to the ancient sites in Ayutthaya as the Chao Phraya still had three more metres left before it would overflow its banks. His office would speed up fixing and restoring Wat Chaiwattanaram, damaged by last year's flooding. The work is expected to be complete before the arrival of the rainy season by the end of this year, he said.

Somsong Sappakosolkul, mayor of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya municipality, called on the government to review the budget allocation for post-flood restoration.

^ Is there no one here with the necessary skills to be able to determine what is an acceptable level of release to avoid flooding? The dam release looks like panic now...

PM concedes severe floods likely this year : National News Bureau of Thailand

PM concedes severe floods likely this year

BANGKOK, 11 February 2012 (NNT) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has conceded Thai people may have to face a new round of floods this year but confirmed the government would try its best to handle the problem.

In her Saturday talk show, PM Yingluck has admitted that severe flooding may recur and participation from all related bodies is crucial to ease the situation.

As part of the flood-prevention plan, the government has prepared two million rai of vacant land as the water retention zone. At the same time, it will help locals in flood-prone areas to adapt themselves to a new lifestyle, for example, by introducing them to jobs in water-related fields.

To boost the capacity of the water release, state officials will survey flood-prone areas to designate locations for water diversion, and check dam construction. Reforestation will also be the government’s priority as there is now more than 10 million rai of deteriorated forest out of the existing 20 million rai of forest areas.

As for the dam management this year, water release has already begun to prevent the comeback of severe flooding. PM Yingluck also apologized to people in Sena District in Ayutthaya Province for failing to inform them of floods in time.

Yingluck is scheduled to visit the flood-hit provinces during February 13-17 to plan a further assistance package other than the THB 5,000 compensation and the debt suspension and restructuring schemes undertaken by the Government Savings Bank, the Government Housing Bank, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives and the SME Bank.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

The inmates are trusted not to try to escape since they will soon be let free anyway. They must also not be convicted of lese majeste or drug offences. "We don't choose drug inmates because their habits can sway them to use the jobs as a way to buy drugs," Mr Somchai said.

But no reason given that lese majeste convicts are even further persecuted. Murderers, rapists, paedos Ok but not those demons.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Ayutthaya residents are questioning the constitutionality of the government's decision to order upstream dams to expedite water discharge and its plan to use 2 million rai of land for water retention in future floods.

THAI AGRI MINISTRY ADMITS AYUTTHAYA FLOOD CAUSED BY DISCHARGE
February 10, 2012

Thailand's Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry on Wednesday admitted that the current flood in Sena district of Ayutthaya resulted from intentional water discharges from two major dams further north.

Nikorn Chamnong, adviser to the agriculture and cooperatives minister, explained that the ongoing flood in Sena district was unusual.

He explained that it was caused by water discharge from the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams in Tak and Uttaradit as the two facilities began discharging water as planned by the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM) to prevent possible flooding later in the rainy season.

According to the water resources management agency, the water storage levels of both dams were expected to be reduced to 45 per cent of their storage capacity on May 1.

However, overall Sena is not severely affected by the flooding, except for low-lying riverside areas where river water overflowed its banks, Mr Nikorn said.

The relevant authorities have been ordered to closely monitor the situation and to remain on standby to help flood-stricken residents as the Bhumibol Dam will discharge 66 million cubic metres of water per day and Sirikit Dam will release 44 million cubic metres of water per day.

Last year, the countrys worst flooding in decades hit the central province of Ayutthaya, submerging historical sites as well as five industrial estates: Saha Rattana Nakhon, Bang Pa-in, Rojana, Hi-Tech and Factory Land.

The five estates are valued at about Bt200 billion (US$6.49 billion) in total investment capital and employ more than 200,000 workers.

In a related development, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was scheduled to inspect the provinces along the riverways on Feb 13-17 to follow up on the repair work of dams and sluice gates that were damaged by the flood last year.

waterworld.com

So the government is doing something proactive to keep dam levels low upstream, and those that are losing their third annual rice crop are whinging about it. That is far preferable to them not whinging, although I hope the 'pain' is being shared in Suphanburi, which is a fairly significant part of the reason for the severity of the Bangkok floods, and the inability to do much about them except inundate surrounding areas.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

^ Is there no one here with the necessary skills to be able to determine what is an acceptable level of release to avoid flooding? The dam release looks like panic now...

working out the dynamics of water ways is very complex, thats why there are quite a number of computer models that have been created to do just that. the royal irrigation dept does have one, but given they have managed to create a flood by simply discharging water from a couple of dams; it does rather suggest that their model is not sufficiently accurate; which does not bode well for this year. So yes it would aprear that if there is someone with the necessary skills, they fare not being listened too.

Originally Posted by hazz

there is someone with the necessary skills, they fare not being listened too.

Something that they are possibly not used to.

I suspect that we will have to endure this at least once more before any real work will be done to prevent it in the future. Right now, the political situation prevents any real progress on things like this in my view.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

The dam release looks like panic now...

Yet before you were criticising the lack of release of dam water.

One thing is for sure- since last rainy season, there has been little fundamental increase in drainage infrastructure to handle flood waters in the lower Chao Praya. There just hasn't been the time. The dredging/ clearing of current drainage channels, while good, only makes an incremental difference. So taking a conservative approach to keeping dam levels low in anticipation of rainy season, is fundamentally sound- certainly compared to the damage wrought by the 'Chart Thai' inspired decision to keep dam levels dangerously high last year, for the obvious benefit of their constituents in Suphanburi. Whilst a third annual crop of rice is certainly desirable in the fertile Chao Praya alluvial plains (especially for local rice farmers) it can hardly be compared to the critical importance of keeping Thailand's only Metropolis, and much of it's industrial plant & infrastructure, unflooded.

Thailand will never have the right people in charge of progects because jobs are bought and payed for , and not given because of skill for the job .
We will allways have a problem when the person is in the job by who you know and not what you know.

Govt seeks 2 million rai to hold flood water - The Nation

Govt seeks 2 million rai to hold flood water

The Nation on Sunday February 12, 2012 1:00 am

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the government is looking for 2 million rai of land to use as areas to hold flood water - given the likelihood that wet-season flooding this year could be as severe as last year.

"I am confident that if the measures can be implemented as planned, the flood problems will be less serious than last year. However, I must admit that we cannot say right now if there will be more or less water than last year. We have to see how much rainfall there is," Yingluck said.

While Thailand is expected to face three major storms this year, water drainage had been improved, she said.

"We also have to reinforce the dikes and repair water gates so that we can delay the water flow. Canals must be unclogged so that water drainage can be done as fast as possible," she said.

Yingluck was speaking in her weekly programme "Yingluck Government Meets the People". Yesterday's programme was the first she had hosted live at Phitsanulok House, the prime minister's official residence.

She talked briefly about the government's gala dinner, given the title "Love Thailand, Move Thailand Forward", on Friday to thank those who worked on flood problems last year and to call for national confidence. She asked for people's cooperation and talked about her planned trip to flood-prone provinces, which will start tomorrow.

During the trip, which is aimed at preparing measures to deal with expected flood problems this year, the prime minister said the government would look for two million rai of land to store flood water and delay the arrival of flood water in Bangkok.

And it would seek understanding from local people whose daily lives and work would be affected by flood-prevention measures, she said.

According to a plan released earlier, 2 million rai of land in provinces such as Phitsanulok, Phichit and Ayutthaya including farmers' paddy fields would be used to hold flood water. The prime minister did not say how much land from these areas had been made available so far.

She would also evaluate the efficiency of water drainage in the areas, inspect locations for dike construction and evaluate forest development.

"Information from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry indicates that we have as much as 10 million rai of degraded forest out of a total of 20 million rai. Meanwhile, the management of water in dams this year will focus on preventing floods. We will work on drought problems in some areas, though. We will start draining water from today," she said.

"Regarding the flooding in Ayutthaya's Sena district, I accept the mistake and apologise to the people. It was a management problem. We tried to inform the [local] people but [the information] had not reached the communities by the time the flood reached them," she said.

Yingluck said in her show that she would find a way to prevent such flooding from recurring and drain water as soon as possible. She would also consider suitable compensation for those hit by floods, following up on the Bt5,000 already approved.

She would start by visiting Uttaradit and inspect water drainage at 12 dams in the North, she said. She will expedite projects to plant more trees and build dikes to prevent both floods and drought, and meet with governors and hear opinions from representatives of affected communities so measures can be adopted in line with the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management.

Yingluck also talked about the government's policy for household debt suspension, saying it was an urgent policy. Debts worth less than Bt500,000 would be suspended for three years while debts worth Bt500,000-1 million would be restructured so people can have an opportunity to reduce expenses and increase income for some time.

PM's flood trip 'set to be washout' | Bangkok Post: news

PM's flood trip 'set to be washout'

CRITICS DISMISS 'ELECTION CAMPAIGN'

• Published: 12/02/2012 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's five-day flood trip is likely to be futile as it is aimed at boosting the government's popularity rather than seriously looking into flood problems, critics say.


Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visited flood-hit areas of Sukhothai last August, just four days after being sworn in.

Starting from Monday, Ms Yingluck and her entourage of about 10 cabinet ministers will visit seven provinces hit by last year's major deluge in the lower North and Central Plains to inspect flood recovery and preparations.

Critics say the flood trail is merely an imitation of her brother and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's upcountry tours to promote his government's poverty eradication schemes.

Ms Yingluck Saturday said she would survey areas with potential to become water retention areas to slow down floodwater from flowing downstream. She will also inspect sluice gates, dams, dykes and water drainage devices to see if they operate properly.

But critics doubt whether the much-publicised trip will help the government come up with more effective flood prevention plans as the rainy season is only a few months away.

"If the premier wants this trip to be fruitful, she must focus on listening to the locals' ideas on flood prevention and see how they can be integrated into the government's plan," said Seri Suparathit, a water expert at Rangsit University.

In recent months, the government had been drawing up flood prevention projects on paper without sufficient input from people on the ground, he said.

Whether there will be a repeat of the great flood depends on the effectiveness of flood prevention projects at local level and the government's support.

Mr Seri said the prime minister should not focus too much on management of water storage in the major dams as the task is handled by a joint panel.

Hannarong Yaowaloes, chairman of Thai-Water Partnerships, said the government was unlikely to come up with any concrete flood prevention scheme after the flood trip as it had been designed to promote the government's popularity rather than to seriously look into water management.

"It's more like an election campaign where Ms Yingluck will give a lot of speeches," he said.

Mr Hannarong echoed Mr Seri's recommendation that the government needs to listen more to people and officials who work on the ground.

The veteran environmentalist said he wondered what the prime minister would present to locals when its flood prevention scheme drafted by technocrats was still very confusing and vague.

Ayutthaya Governor Witthaya Piewpong said he would discuss with the Strategic Formulation Committee for Water Resources Management to make a list of proposed flood prevention projects in his province before submitting it to Ms Yingluck, who visits Ayutthaya on Thursday.

For short-term measures, the governor said, he would ask the government to improve the flood warning system to make it more timely and understandable for people in flood-risk areas.

The current flooding at riverside communities in Sena district, which was caused by water releases from the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams, could have been avoided if residents had received a proper warning, he said.

Ms Yingluck yesterday apologised to Sena residents during her weekly address, admitting that authorities failed to issue a warning about rising water levels, resulting in minor flooding in at least six villages there and in Phak Hai district.

She also outlined the government's flood prevention plan for this year.

Upstream management will focus on discharging water from 12 major dams to provide space for new water flows; middle stream management involves mapping out about two million rai to use as a temporary water retention area; and the downstream plan will centre on improving the network of waterways, upgrading sluice gates and dredging Bangkok canals to speed up drainage.

Rice farmers unhappy with weir projects | Bangkok Post: news

Rice farmers unhappy with weir projects

• Published: 15/02/2012 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Farmers in flood-prone Bang Rakam district of Phitsanulok have demanded fairer compensation if their land is to be used to retain floodwater.


Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, left, briefs Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra during her inspection of Bung Boraphet in Nakhon Sawan yesterday. The swamp is one of the government’s many flood prevention projects aimed at creating large water retention areas. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD

Anchalee Porsongkhram, a Bang Rakam villager, said she would cooperate with the water retention policy only if the government pays out a reasonable amount of compensation.

The government is gearing up to dredge three lakes and canals in the district to increase their capacity to retain overflow from the Yom River.

Mrs Anchalee said her village was under floodwater for three months last year and that it was the worst flooding she'd seen since 1995.

She complained that the government had not informed villagers in advance of its plan to turn vast rice fields in Bang Rakam district into weirs.

Lamjuan Khamthabthim, a 67-year-old local, said the government had to tell villagers what they can do for a living if their lands are flooded.

As a compensatory measure, the government should also pay off personal debts accumulated when sowing rice fields that will be ravaged by the water retention project.

She said her family depends solely on rice cultivation and grows two crops a year on its 16-rai land plot.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is on an upcountry tour to inspect flood prevention projects. She was in the North yesterday to follow up on progress of water retention projects in Bang Rakam.

Authorities expect to finish dredging local canals in July but dredging three swamps in Bung Takreng, Bung Khiraeng and Bung Raman will take a year.

The flood prevention plan will be implemented in 10 upstream northern provinces; Chiang Mai, Uttaradit, Chiang Rai, Sukhothai, Tak, Nan, Phrae, Lampang, Lamphun and Phayao.

Four main rivers flow from the North and merge to create the Chao Phraya River feeding rice-belt provinces in the Central Plains.

Apart from the dredging, reforestation and small dam projects are to be completed in the next three months.

Supoj Tovichakchaikul, secretary to the Strategic Formulation Committee on Water Resources Management, said both immediate and long-term flood prevention projects in the North would cost the state 49.2 billion baht.

It includes the establishment of a water information centre that will issue flood warnings.

Wichian Chavalit, secretary-general of the strategic committee, said water retention areas were also necessary in midstream provinces like Uthai Thani, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Chai Nat and Nakhon Sawan.

He noted some areas had to accept water and that dykes could not be built to protect all areas. Without the weirs, the level of the Chao Phraya River would be too high and overflow its banks.

Originally Posted by hazz

^. reforestation would be excellent move and something they might consider, once someone has worked out how to produce biofuel from wood, there will be a large economic reason to copse the marginal hill lands with fast growing tree varieties and a lot less pressure to grow bio fuels on arable land.

My brother is a leading expert in Europe in this field and bamboo is one that is very fitting for the biomass market. Whether it grows on hills sides. I have no idea

Originally Posted by nevets

Thailand will never have the right people in charge of progects because jobs are bought and payed for , and not given because of skill for the job .
We will allways have a problem when the person is in the job by who you know and not what you know.

And the government is run along the same lines - from the top down! Someone with no political experience apart from vicariously observing her brother went from running one of his businesses to leading a whole nation - overnight!
No wonder this place is in a right pickle!

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's five-day flood trip is likely to be futile as it is aimed at boosting the government's popularity rather than seriously looking into flood problems, critics say.

^Further evidence of my thoughts in my last post