Northeast and East swamped

The Northeast and eastern provinces have been severely inundated due to heavy downpours since Saturday.

Thousands of rai of paddy fields and agricultural farms in three tambons of Rayong province have been hit by the flooding because officials have had to discharge large amounts of water from several reservoirs into the Rayong River due to two days of heavy rain.

The large amount of run-off has ruined dykes along the river and flooded Moo 6 Tambon Tapong and Moo 10 Tambon Ta Khan in Rayong’s Moung district. Meanwhile, the Rayong River Park village has been submerged under more than a metre of water.

On Saturday night, the Royal Thai Navy and IRPC, the petrochemical giant which has a refinery in the province, sent a team to help affected people in local areas. They built a sandbag embankment to protect villages from flooding and sent trucks to transfer elderly people from affected areas and help move their belongings to higher places.

However, the flood water level had begun to slightly recede yesterday morning.

In Chachoengsao province, water had run from the Si Yat reservoir into Tha Takiab district and Sanam Chai Khet district. All roads in this district were totally submerged under more than a metre of water – higher than the past few days. People living in Ban Bang Phiang had moved their belongings to higher places and fled the flooding.

About 26 reservoirs in Nakhon Ratchasima province have had more water than they can hold since the middle of the month, due to rain from the tropical storm ‘Nari’.

The sport complex in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Moung district become a large lake, after being swamped by water discharged from the nearby Ta Lerng Phol reservoir. 

Water discharged from Sab Pra Du reservoir has also submerged part of Mittraphap Highway in Sikhiu district, which is the main way link between the Northeast and Bangkok. Floodwater in this area was 50 to 80 centimetres deep. In a related development, the Public Health Ministry yesterday reported that over 150,000 people were suffering from flood-related diseases in affected areas. 

Athlete’s foot, rashes, flu and fatigue are common problems among people living amid floods.

However, Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said no severe health conditions or outbreak of flood-related disease had been reported.