Govt 'will find 2M rai catchment area by tomorrow'
Play
The government will find 2 million rai of land for water-retention purposes in the Central region by tomorrow, Science Minister Plodprasob Surassa-wadee said.
“We will complete this job before we return to Bangkok,” he said yesterday as he accompanied Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on a tour of many provinces, which wraps up tomorrow.
It aims to organise the government to better manage water flow and water volume in the country this year.
Plodprasob said the government has already earmarked 470,000 rai of land for water retention, which is part of the government’s efforts to prevent a flood crisis like last year. The government now plans to spend Bt49 billion on 2,516 flood-prevention projects. Of the total projects, 581 require urgent implementation.
“Up to 55 projects will likely be implemented in the next three months with a budget of Bt1.82 billion,” PM’s Office Minister Woravat Auapinyakul said.
In Lop Buri, Bang Nga municipal clerk Sakdipong Thamarchawakul said the premier was scheduled to visit the province today and more than 30 local leaders would submit their demands. “People should have a say in the panel that manages water volume in the Chao Phraya River, too. People’s representatives as well as local administrative bodies should be allowed to sit on the panel,” he said.
He added some areas such as Tha Wung Field should not be used for water-retention because many people lived there and judging by the landscape, it would be difficult to control water flow and to drain the water.
Meanwhile, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said in an interview with Blue Sky Channel that Yingluck should not be selective in planning flood prevention for the country.
“She has not included Tak and Sukhothai in her tour. I’ve noticed that there are no Pheu Thai MPs in these provinces. Yet, Sukhothai was one of the hard-hit provinces in the 2011 flood crisis,” Abhisit said.
