PM: No great flood this year

Published: 25/02/2012 at 04:19 PM
Online news:

There will be no recurrence of the devastating flood this year because all parties have joined forces in working to keep water under control, according to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Authorities will make sure that all flood-control measures are in place before the rainy season arrives, the premier said on Saturday on her weekly “Yingluck Government Meets the People” talk show on Channel 11.The premier on Friday presented the government’s water management and flood prevention plans to His Majesty the King in an audience at Siriraj Hospital. His Majesty expressed his concern about deforestation...

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spiceman
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Discussion 40 : 02/03/2012 at 01:56 AM40
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Khun JohninBKK #39, can you link me to your data that says the water at Sirikit Dam was 90% full at the end of August last year? I hope it is from the Irrigation Department, because mine is-"Amount of Water Stored in Sirikit Dam per year from 2005-2011." With the main "Rice Basket," of the country sustained heavy damage by the catastrophe, can you tell me which part of the county that could outproduce it, and more than upsetting the huge loss? Our country's "Rice Basket" is accountable for up to nearly 1/2 of the country's total rice output. And did the Govt complain recently that they could not find enough rice to feed their rice's price guaranteed program? The price of Thai Jasmine Rice has already gone up by about 10 cents per lb in Southern California, indicating a drop in the supply.
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johninbkk
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Discussion 39 : 02/03/2012 at 12:37 AM39
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spiceman D38 - Have a look at the Sirikit dam data again, that's not what I see. But yes, I do agree that the dam was mismanaged, but there is no simply evidence to say PTP had anything to do with it.

"an you explain to me how rice production rose despite of heavy damage to rice fields as well as storage facilities?"
I was surprised myself when I heard it. What I understand is farmers in other parts of the country expected the flood damage, and so planted more rice hoping to take extra profits.
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spiceman
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Discussion 38 : 29/02/2012 at 07:05 PM38
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Khun JohninBKK #37, there you go again, the water at Sirikit Dam in late August last year was about 74% full or 7,900 MCM out of the maximum capacity of 10,640 MCM, not 96% full as you said. So, do you think the AG Minister held back water at the dams to prevent flood damage to farmers' fields, only to wipe them all out later? You see, it doesn't make any sense at all, given a clear rising trend of the amount of rainfall since 2009. I think PTP already had the rise's price guaranteed program in mind, before they came to power, and was confident they could easily get it through parliament. And can you explain to me how rice production rose despite of heavy damage to rice fields as well as storage facilities? I know for sure that 700,000 tons of unmilled rice was destroyed by the flood. The price of Thai Jasmine rice in Southern California has already risen. Finally, don't you think PTP need a new and more capable AG Minister, rather than to take power and responsibility away from him?
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johninbkk
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Discussion 37 : 29/02/2012 at 10:50 AM37
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spiceman D36 - There is more than one dam in the country. Sirikit, for example, was 96% full when PTP took power. The AG minister held water back to prevent flooding damage to fields - not to feed any rice mortgage scheme (which didn't even exist at the time). Next, rice production went up after the floods, not down - check the data for yourself. And lastly, PTP removed water powers from the Minister to prevent a reoccurence.
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spiceman
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Discussion 36 : 29/02/2012 at 03:41 AM36
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Khun JohninBKK #35, as I said, when PTP took power in late August, the dam was only 70% full, and the overflowing, marking the beginning of the catastrophe was more than 2 months away. So, the timing was critical but well within the dam's capability to manage the increased amount of rainfall safely, as Khun BanmeBKK said in discussion #33. The fact that AG Minister had to overrule the experts in the AG Ministry, in order to have his way at the dam, should tell you of a plan to maximize rice production, in order to feed the new PTP's rice's price guaranteed program. Of course, it backfired big time, not to mention the 700,000 tons of unmilled rice destroyed by the catastrophe, causing a drop in rice export this year. And after all the carnage, PTP still decides to keep him around, therefore, I must conclude they own him now. Unbelievable!
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johninbkk
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Discussion 35 : 29/02/2012 at 12:46 AM35
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spiceman D32 - "since PTP decided to retain him, he became a cabinet member under PTP's leadership, 2 months before the catastrophe took place."
If the minister was incompetent, why did AV appoint him in the first place? The flooding began two months before, and the dams were already nearly full, when PTP took power by late August. If PTP replaced the minister, the new guy would get blamed and you'd criticize PTP for removing a competent individual with an incompetent one.
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spiceman
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Discussion 34 : 28/02/2012 at 06:59 PM34
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Khun BanmeBKK #33, the data from the dams clearly showed a rising trend in the amount of rainfall, since 2009, which hardly justified the AG Minister's decision to hoard water "for the farmers." You are absolutely correct that it was well within the dams' capability to contain the increased amount of rainfall last year, making the catastrophe totally preventable, if not greatly minimized.
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banmebkk
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Discussion 33 : 28/02/2012 at 06:42 PM33
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truth is, there is an El Nina/Nino going on, so there was more rain last year compare to the previous years. BUT if the dams were properly managed, it could have handle the extra amount of rain. The dams were built to contain natural events like hurricanes and el nino/nina ... but not human errors.
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spiceman
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Discussion 32 : 28/02/2012 at 06:00 PM32
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Khun JohninBKK #31, first, the AG Minister owned up to his gigantic mistake of holding up water at the dams "for the farmers," breaching the upper "Safe Zone" in the process. Second, all the data confirmed it. Third, we know that he overruled the experts in the AG Ministry, in order to have his way, kind of stepping out on a limb, so he was fully aware of the serious consequence of his faithful decision. Finally, since PTP decided to retain him, he became a cabinet member under PTP's leadership, 2 months before the catastrophe took place. Of course, you're entitled to believe in whatever you want to believe, but I believe only in the truth. Good day...
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johninbkk
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Discussion 31 : 28/02/2012 at 05:21 PM31
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spiceman D30 - I'm agreeing with you that the dams were mismanaged irresponsibly, and that this was partly the cause of the flooding. However, I do not agree with you that it was the sole cause of the flood, nor that PTP was responsible for this mismanagement, given the evidence available.
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