Plodprasob concerned about drainage; PM promises drought relief

Tuesday is the second day of the flood-inspection tour and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled to inspect Phitsanulok, Phichit and Nakhon Sawan.
After spending the night at a Phitsanulok hotel, Yingluck and selected Cabinet members will be given a briefing on flood prevention plans for the upstream provinces.
Governors of ten upstream provinces -- Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Tak, Nan, Phrae, Lampang, Lamphun and Phayao -- are scheduled to meet with the prime minister today in Phitsanulok to propose their integrated flood prevention plan.
Phitsanulok Governor Preecha Ruangchan said he planned to propose building more dykes along the river and raising existing dykes from 50 centimetres to one metre high in a bid to prevent flooding in the province's economic zone.
Yingluck and a number of cabinet minister on Monday began a 5-day tour visiting the lower northern province of Uttaradit to review water management at the Sirikit Dam, which she said would become a model for other dams.
Science and Technology Minister Plodprasob Surasawadi briefed the premier saying that Thailand would encounter typhoons and tropical storms this year while the sea level is expected to rise slightly from last year.
Plodprasob expressed concern regarding water drainage as the total amount of water is predicted at 20 billion cubic metres. Existing dams must keep five billion cubic metres of water, with another five billion in other water retention areas.
The remaining 10 billion cubic metres of water should drain through Bangkok, taking 45 days, according to the minister, who reaffirmed that Bangkok will not be flooded.
Yingluck stated concerned agencies should speed up the reforestation in upstream areas and the building of the so-called monkey cheeks projects (a water organisation system draining waterways such as ditches and canals into small reservoirs).
She said the interior ministry and the ministry of natural resources and environment will be in charge of the planting of vetiver grass, while dam authorities must manage their water level to least affect the public.
The premier however admitted that some groups of people will be hit by drought as a result of water management in dams but the government will rehabilitate them at its full capacity.
The meteorological and warning system should be improved and information must be integrated from all concerned parties, asserted the premier, adding this improvement should be completed within three months.
The prime minister will later travel to Phichit. She is scheduled to inspect Khlong Klam, the location for Bang Rakam monkey cheek project for water retention. Bang Rakam is one of the worst flood-prone areas in the upper North.The prime minister will stop off for lunch at Pheu Thai Party’s office in Phichit before inspecting a flood control project at Bung Si Fai.
The next stop is at the Bung Boraphet flood control project in Nakhon Sawan where the prime minister will spend the second night of the trip.

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