Touring PM urges solution to floods
>> KANCHANABURI: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin yesterday ordered local authorities to speed up efforts to prevent flooding in this province on the second day of his four-province tour.
The PM wants to gain first-hand information around various issues, including water resource management and “potential untapped tourism sites”, his spokespeople say.
The prime minister began his visit in Kanchanaburi by following up on a scheme aimed at solving chronic flooding in the municipal area of Muang district that has caused economic damage and affected people’s livelihoods.
Mr Srettha said the government had allocated funds to alleviate flood problems in the province and expected authorities to expedite the project before the arrival of heavy rains.
He said water storage areas, known as monkey’s cheeks, could alleviate flooding. He asked local officials to expand these areas ahead of the rainy season.
Kanchanaburi governor Thossapol Chaikomin said two communities, Muang municipality and Pak Phraek municipality, are hit with flooding every year because they are low-lying areas and lack effective drainage systems.
The chronic flooding, caused by run-off from mountains, affects more than 5,000 households with 17,000 residents and hurts the province’s tourism, he said.
Panrop Techamongkalapiwat, deputy chief of the Interior Ministry’s Department of Public Works and Town Planning, said the department has conducted a study on the flood prevention system and come up with a proposal to address the flooding.
The proposal includes the building of a main drainage system to divert water into the Kwai Yai River and improve draining facilities, and involves several agencies such as the State Railway of Thailand and the Department of Royal Irrigation.
The scheme requires a budget of 780 million baht and is divided into three phases spanning from 2024 to 2028, he said.
Another drainage project to divert water to Mae Klong River, that would cost 150 million baht, could also help address flooding in Muang district.