Villagers in North call for many smaller dams
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Villagers living in Nam Yom River basin have proposed five measures that they say could manage annual flooding without the Kaeng Sua Ten dam, which they oppose, needing to be built.
The moves were cheaper and could be done immediately while the expensive dam project could not efficiently prevent flooding in Phrae and neighbouring provinces, the group said, during a visit to the area yesterday with the press and donors.
At a separate site visit in Chiang Mai, representatives of people living in northern Bangkok north of Bhumibhol Dam said they were the first victims facing seasonal high tides and flooding every wet season when the dam was filled.
The Yom River network said building small dams on 77 tributaries of the Yom could help store rainwater for use and prevent any overflow, which would swell the Yom.
“The cost would be around Bt3 million for each village and a reservoir would be needed or built for no more than Bt50 million,” said Prasitthiphorn Kalonsri, a coordinator of the network.
There should also be a onetambon onedam project in 98 tambons, each of which would cost no more than Bt10 million, along with dredging of existing waterways and restoration of forests where all waterways originated, which could also be helpful, he said.
In Chiang Mai, villagers and local politicians said around 3,400 people living in 1,000 villagers, located in Hod district, were flooded for six months from June to January every year, because they lived in lowlying areas which would be inundated by water from Bhumibhol dam in Tak province, when it was filled or before water was not released.
A local politician, Jongkol Noja, called the area “The Forgotten” and said the villagers faced a dilemma when an area they frequently migrated to during the peak tide was pronounced a forest reserve, which made them encroachers. The villagers began their quest for solutions from the government in 2006.
Another politician, Niphan Thongkham, said budgets had been wasted on flood prevention and left little for development and other projects. The villagers called for immediate attention from the authorities and vowed to pursue their goals to get compensation or relocation costs from the state.
