Flood response efforts boosted for industrial estates in risky areas

The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) on Thursday issued a call for operators of industrial estates in flood-prone areas to closely monitor the situation and adhere to its eight-point flood response plan.

Yuthasak Supasorn, IEAT board chairman, said all operators should keep up with the latest updates on the water level and water discharge rate of three main dams, namely Chao Phraya in Chai Nat, Pa Sak Jolasid in Lopburi and Rama VI in Ayutthaya.

He added that the three industrial estates in Ayutthaya, namely Bang Pa-in, Hi-Tech and Nakhon Luang, are in low-lying areas and have built flood walls to protect themselves from flash flooding.

However, he said, the flood wall for the Bang Pu Industrial Estate is not yet complete and will be closely monitored.

The IEAT’s 8-point flood response measure includes:

• Monitoring meteorological reports and data closely
• Assessing and forecasting local rainfall amounts
• Inspecting, repairing and maintaining water pumps to ensure full operational capacity
• Draining water within the estate to the lowest possible level and maximising the capacity of floodwater retention areas
• Preparing means to request back-up portable water pumps from external agencies in case of emergency
• Continuously assessing the situation and providing updates to industrial operators and relevant parties
• Regularly performing flood response drills
• Reporting immediately to the IEAT if rainfall exceeds 120 millimetres and providing ongoing updates until the situation stabilises

Yuthasak also said that IEAT has coordinated with provincial agencies to deploy water pumps and barriers to protect industrial estates and critical infrastructure from potential flood damage.

Thailand has 68 industrial estates nationwide with a combined investment value of 13.2 trillion baht. These industrial estates house nearly 5,000 factories and provide jobs for over 850,000 people.