An excellent first step against flooding
To give credit where credit it’s due, I praise Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon for pledging that “authorities would tighten town planning procedures, banning people from building ... structures that block water channels”.
This is the first time a leader has pinpointed the root cause of the problem and promised to fix it.
Prawit shows admirable and rare vision and analytical skill in seeking to solve this problem at its roots. But this is only a first step. What he must now do is follow through quickly with sustained action that is accountable and aimed at achieving justice for all.
It’s superb that he’ll try out the approach first in Pattaya. What’s the timeline and budget for the overall plan’s implementation, and who will carry it out? What will the junta do with the many buildings, roads and housing estates that now block flood-ways? What if the next elected government balks at the plan after it has been implemented?
Good start, General. Keep it up, fully respecting the rights of those affected.
Burin Kantabutra
