HM grants audience to PM, water panel experts

His Majesty the King granted an audience yesterday evening to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and members of two government panels tasked with improving watermanagement systems.
“We have reported progress and findings from our recent inspection trip,” Yingluck said. Last week, she and relevant officials visited many floodhit provinces in an effort to find better flood solutions this year.
Last year, floods wreaked havoc across dozens of provinces, claiming hundreds of lives, submerging seven industrial estates and swamping the houses of millions.
Yingluck led members of the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management (SCWRM) and the Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development (SCRFD) into the audience with His Majesty, who is a respected water expert, yesterday evening.
The audience started at 5.30pm in a meeting room on the 14th floor of the Chalerm Phrakiart Building at Siriraj Hospital.
“We are listening to his advice,” Yingluck said.
According to the prime minister, the government has already worked out its floodprevention plans, and now needs to communicate them to the public. “Some of the plans will be implemented as soon as possible, while some others are longterm flood solutions,” she said.
Asked whether floodway and watercatchment areas had been earmarked, Yingluck said, “Yes, but I will let experts such as Kijja Pholphasi, Peetipong Phuengbun na Ayutthaya and Dr Anond Snidvongs explain that in detail.”
According to Yingluck, the watermanagement plan does not run against the rules of nature. Apart from dam management, runoff water will be allowed to flow through welldredged waterways to the sea. Watercatchment areas, selected because they have long been floodprone, will be required to hold water for just a few months a year, she said.
“In the long run, we may raise the height of some roads,” she said.
Yingluck said transferring Chalit Damrongsak from the helm of the Royal Irrigation Department would not disrupt the floodprevention efforts.
“The guidelines have already been laid down. No matter who comes in or comes to take charge, they will be the same,” she said. “Besides, Chalit is now the deputy permanent secretary for Agriculture. He will still oversee the department.”
Stop Global Warming Association president Srisuwan Janya yesterday urged more victims of last year’s floods to come forward and file lawsuits against the government for its perceived mismanagement of the crisis.
“We have already filed two complaints against the government with the Central Administrative Court on behalf of many victims. But we will represent more if more flood victims contact us and authorise us to do so,” Srisuwan said.