24 provinces under grip of floods
The Nation September 27, 2013 1:00 am
Northeast, East brace for tropical depression approaching from Vietnam
The Royal Irrigation Department is keeping a close eye on the impact of the upcoming tropical depression from Vietnam, which might affect several provinces in Thailand's Northeast and Eastern regions
Ubon Ratchatani, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Prachin Buri would likely be affected by the upcoming depression. These areas are already severely hit by floods, the department's deputy director-general Suthep Noipairoj said yesterday.
He expressed concerns about the flood situation in Prachin Buri as the Pasak Chonlasit Dam is now nearly full and needed to discharge some volume of water before the new tropical depression arrived.
To date, the volume of water in Pasak Chonlasit Dam was 785 million cubic metres while the full capacity of the dam was 960 million cubic metres.
"We have to discharge about 8.9 million cubic metres per day from the dam to prepare for the upcoming depression," he said.
Meanwhile, Chao Phraya River should drain water at 2,300 cubic metres per second, which exceeds its capacity of 2,195 cubic metres per second.
Suthep explained that the department would drain the excess amount of water into the fields on the western and eastern banks of Chao Phraya River.
However, he explained that most of the flood-affected areas were located along the river and waterway and that is why they were at risk from the adverse impact of the flooding.
Floods have already affected more than 2.1 million people this month and ravaged more than 1.14 million rai of farmland.
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chatchai Phromlert said yesterday that floodwater had also damaged 2,310 roads, 6,900 houses and 145 bridges. "Of the 29 flood-hit provinces, the situation in just five has returned to normal as of today," he said.
Still under water are Surin, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Buri Ram, Amnat Charoen, Chaiyaphum, Yasothon, Mukdahan, Phitsanulok, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Phetchabun, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Chainat, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaew, Nakhon Nayok, Chachoengsao, Ayutthaya, Angthong and Suphan Buri.
Many of these provinces are heavily flooded. The worst-hit spots in Chaiyaphum are about 2.8 metres under water.
In Buri Ram, floodwater levels have soared above three metres in Krasang district, marooning more than 200 families. Officials are making desperate efforts to get relief items to these victims.
Working alongside local administrative bodies, the department has mobilised thousands of volunteers to deliver assistance. More than 1,500 boats have been dispatched to reach the victims. Not all, however, are happy with the authorities' response.
Anong Thongsri, a 46-year-old resident in Prachin Buri's flooded Kabin Buri district, lamented that assistance efforts had failed to reach all those affected. "The floodwater level is also rising," she said.
Department of Religious Affairs chief Preecha Gunteeya said, meanwhile, that 295 temples in 12 provinces were flooded, affecting 2,014 monks.
The Government Housing Bank has offered a debt moratorium for flood-hit customers, whose loan repayments will be suspended for up to nine months depending on the severity of their situation. During that period, no interest will be charged on the loans.
Should flooding damage the whole house of a loan recipient, the bank will write off all outstanding debt on the house, leaving just the debt from the land purchase to pay.
Flood-hit loan recipients can contact the bank for help at (02) 645 9000.
