Ministry told to limit flood area

The Ministry must now resubmit its plan based on Geographic Information System(GIS) criteria of flood catchment and diversion areas down to 2 million rai (320,000 hectares) within two weeks. 

Negotiations with villagers willing to have their land used for such purposes in return for payment could begin immediately, said Kijja Pholphasee, an adviser to the National Water and Flood Policies Commission.

The NWFP has approved 246 projects proposed by the Transport Ministry worth Bt24.8 billion. Some are considered long-term solutions and were not endorsed in yesterday's meeting, Kijja said.

The 2 million rai of flood catchment and diversion areas has been designated to trap or hold 5 billion cubic metres of flood and excessive water north of Bangkok. There are no details over whether or how the Agriculture Ministry came up with the request for 3 million rai yesterday, since it had already been aware of the 2 million rai condition before the meeting.

Farmers, mostly those based in Central provinces along the Chao Phraya River basin, will be warned they will carry out third-crop farming beyond September – when high tides are at their peak – at their own risk. They will not be entitled to receive payments after two previous crops farmed before September.

Farmers willing to have their land used as flood catchment and diversion areas will receive Bt600 to Bt800 per rai for empty plots, or Bt4,000 to Bt5,000 per rai where crops have not been harvested. 

“Once the designation of the 2 million rai has been officially approved and announced, talking with farmers will begin,” Kijja said.

He said the NWFP would need to evaluate a number of Transport Ministry projects, including many already approved by the Cabinet, such as the construction of elevated Boromratchonnani Road to Nakhon Pathom or Buddha Monthol 4 and 5 roads along the entire stretch.

Kijja said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the NWFP chairwoman, was present during yesterday’s meeting and did not rule out the three construction projects – but ordered their further study.

Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee, as chairman of the Commission of Water and Flood Management (CWFM), said the 246 projects proposed by the Transport Ministry would be submitted to Cabinet in today’s meeting for approval.

He said the two subcommittees would further study projects to supplement his commission’s work, and that the two panels would hold a meeting in two weeks.

Anont Sanitwong na Ayutthaya, a member of the CWFM, said the criteria for designating the 2-million-rai areas must be standardised and based on GIS technology. He quoted Yingluck as saying subsequent communication with the public over the areas and conditions of payment would need to be precise and unequivocal.