Scheme targets 17 flood-prone sites
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Cabinet will consider master plan on Tuesday; initiative may cost Bt300 bn
On Tuesday, the Cabinet will study a master waterandflood management plan aimed to help 17 delugeprone areas, Vichien Chavalit, secretarygeneral of the government panel on reconstruction and rebuilding, said.
According to committee member Anond Snidvong na Ayudhaya, at least Bt300 billion would be required to build floodways, large and mediumsized reservoirs, as well as a signalling system in the North, the Central and Bangkok.
The eight measures proposed include restoring and preserving forests and other ecological systems; creating a national waterstorage system and operating major dams; restoring and boosting the efficiency of existing irrigation infrastructure; building a national database and early warning system; as well as setting up emergency and contingency relief operations. Also proposed was the designation of catchment areas and compensating people whose land is needed for this; setting up a new agency to oversee the projects; as well as encouraging public participation.
However, key committee member Pramote Maiklad, former Royal Irrigation Department chief, was sceptical, saying that the ideas were not sustainable enough to cope with flooding in the long run and that solutions were only shortterm ones created once the initial Bt17 billion budget was approved.
“If there is a huge onslaught of water this year, I cannot tell you what we can do to cope with it. There are shortterm solutions in place and Bt17 billion at hand, but I confess that these measures cannot be considered a longterm, sustainable solution to cope with flooding,” he added.
Pitiphong Phuengbun na Ayutthaya, another member of the committee, said the Bt17billion budget was only meant to be used for the construction of systems, not to provide assistance to farmers or offer incentives to residents whose land will be used as adhoc catchment areas.
Panel chairman, Wichian Chawalit, said six of the measures would be shortterm solutions and the other two longterm ones. As for building public understanding and encouraging them to get involved would be carried out by concerned agencies, including the Agriculture Ministry.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is expected to publicly address the flood issue and discuss the plan in midMarch once it is approved.
