Villagers to hear flood payment details soon

" We have already come up with a resolution and will make an announcement to members of the public early next month," said Supot Towijakchaikul, a commission secretary.
When the commission retains water in retention areas, the work is likely to last for 45 days, he said.
The commission previously announced it would designate about 2.1million rai as irrigated and natural watershed areas for water retention in the Chao Phraya River Basin, from Nakhon Sawan province to Ayutthaya province. Of this number, about 800,000 rai are located in the irrigated areas.
However, the commission has not yet announced the number of people who will be due to receive compensation when their lands are designated water retention areas.
In a related development, Supot also expressed his concern over the flood prevention measures in the Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and nearby provinces. He said no construction to raise road surfaces for use as flood barriers had started in many areas to date.
The government has budgeted Bt24 billion for floodwalls and raising the surface of some 500 kilometres of roads. The megaprojects cover Bangkok and adjacent provinces such as Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom.
" The Transport Ministry informed the commission that its project to raise the 500km of roads will be ready to deal with flooding by the end of August, but the construction won’t be fully completed," Supot told The Nation.
He said the delay in construction projects was caused by the complication of the state procurement process.
Boonyuen Wongsanguan, a coordinator of the Agricultural Reform and Community Development project, said many villagers in Yom River Basin, covering three provinces in the North, are now confused about the government's plan to designate their paddy fields as water retention areas.
" The officials only told villagers the government would use their paddy fields as water retention areas. They did not explain when the government would use their lands for this retention and how much compensation they would get," he said.
“ They want to know details of the government's plan so they can make their own plans to live with flooding in the future,” he added.
The government previously announced that all areas in four districts in Pichit province, Wachirabaramee, SamNga, Phoprathachang, and Phothalay, would be designated as water retention areas.
Last year, these areas were submerged by floods for over four months, from July to November. Every year, floodwaters there take as long as two months to fully recede.
Meanwhile, the Environmental and Natural Resources Protection and Conservation Assembly Committee yesterday opposed the government's plan to go forward with its megaconstruction project for water and flood management, valued at Bt350 billion.
Hannarong Yaowalert, committee chairperson, said the government's plan to manage water and flooding were unclear and lacked participation from stakeholders and civic groups.
Many water projects would cause environmental and health impacts on local people and a public hearing and environmental and health impact assessment reports were needed,he said.
Some projects under the plan, such as the Mae Wong Dam, are waiting approval from the environmental and health impact assessment of the National Environmental Board and Independent Commission on Environment and Health.
Srisuwan Janya, chairman of the Stop Global Warming Association, said he would file a lawsuit in the Central Administration Court against the government and the water and flood management committee.
He said the project run by the committee had violated Constitution Articles 57 and 58 which require the government to invite public participation in a mega project likely to cause an impact on the environment and people's wellbeing.
However the government had pushed forward with this project without gaining participation from members of the public.