Floods: race against time | Bangkok Post: learning

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Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is determined to prevent a new wave of floods flowing from the North reaching lower central provinces and Bangkok.

An aerial view shows flood-ravaged areas in Bang Rakam district of Phitsanulok province. Flood waters are only draining away slowly as the water level in the Nan River remains high.

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Govt rushes to avert floods

Cabinet agrees to B5,000 per head of relief funding

POST REPORTERS

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is determined to prevent a new wave of floods flowing from the North reaching lower central provinces and Bangkok, a source in the cabinet said yesterday.

Ms Yingluck has ordered the Agriculture Ministry to determine whether waterways could be dredged to channel away the approaching flood water.

This is to prevent Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani from enduring further flooding, and to safeguard Bangkok.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk will inspect the provinces today to find ways to act on the instructions.

The source said Ms Yingluck has told her secretary and the interior minister to work out time slots for ministers and governors to visit the flooded areas.

The premier said aerial photos will be used to map out measures to divert approaching high water, the source said.

The cabinet yesterday agreed to provide emergency relief funds of 5,000 baht per family to residents severely affected by floods.

This has been scaled back from 5,500 baht per family, the amount the government originally floated based on the severity of flood damage.

The prime minister said the amount should be capped at 5,000 baht in keeping with the standard rate of relief funds.

Ms Yingluck said disbursement of funds would be expedited and closely monitored to prevent abuse.

Government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisaeng said Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit will set up a workshop on flood management to be joined by the governors of nine affected provinces.

The 5,000-baht relief fund will be drawn from the emergency assistance budget worth 886 million baht to be tapped from the central budget.

A total of 174,383 families from 44 provinces are eligible to obtain the relief. More than 870 million baht will be spent on the families.

In Ayutthaya, farmers are in dire need of harvesting machines as floods have forced them to harvest large amounts of rice prematurely,Thai Farmers Association vice-chairman Wichian Phuanglamchiak said.

He said there were about 300 rice harvesting machines in the province which was not enough.

More paddy fields are expected to be ravaged by floods this week when the Irrigation Department starts discharging more water from the Chao Phraya dam into the Chao Phraya and Noi rivers.

aerial – (of a photograph) from a plane ภาพถ่ายทางอากาศ
ravaged – destroyed damaged very badly  ถูกทำลาย, เสียหาย, ถูกล้างผลาญ
drain – to cause water or fluid to flow out ระบายออก
level – the amount of liquid that there is in a container, river, dam, etc., which can be seen by how high the liquid is ระดับ
rush – to move or do something very quickly รีบเร่ง, วิ่ง
avert – to prevent something bad or harmful from happening ป้องกันไม่ให้เกิด
cabinet – the group of government ministers who make and approve government policy คณะรัฐมนตรี
relief – help; assistance การช่วยให้พ้นภัย
funding – money given for a particular purpose  การให้เงินสนับสนุน
determined – having made a firm decision to do something and to not let anyone prevent you  แน่นอน,ซึ่งตัดสินใจแล้ว
wave – an activity or situation which is happening again or is being repeated after a pause
flow – (of a liquid) to move continuously in one direction ไหล
source – someone who gives information แหล่งข่าว
determine – to discover something by examining evidence to or calculate something กำหนด, ระบุ, แสดงผล
dredge – to remove unwanted things from the bottom of a river, lake, etc. using a sucking or other device ขุดลอก
channel – to carry or send water, light, etc. through a passage ทำให้ไหลไปตามช่อง
approach – to move closer to someone or something เข้าใกล้
endure – to suffer something difficult or unpleasant in a patient way over a long period of time อดทนเพื่อให้ผ่านเวลาหรือเหตุการณ์ที่เลวร้าย
safeguard – to protect something/somebody from loss, harm or damage; to keep something/somebody safe ปกป้อง,  คุ้มครอง, อารักขา
natural resources –  things such as coal, trees, wildlife and oil that exist in nature and can be used by people ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติ
environment – the place in which people live and work, including all the physical conditions that affect them สภาพแวดล้อม, สิ่งแวดล้อม
inspect – to look at something carefully ตรวจสอบ
act – to do something for a particular purpose or in order to deal with a situation  ปฏิบัติ
slot – a time for somebody/something in a list, a programme of events or a series of broadcasts เวลาซึ่งกำหนดในตาราง
measure – an action taken to solve a particular problem มาตรการ
divert – to cause something to change direction เบนเส้นทางเดินน้ำ
emergency – an unexpected situation involving danger in which immediate action is necessary เหตุฉุกเฉิน
residents – people who live in a particular area ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่
severely – very seriously อย่างรุนแรง
scale back –  to reduce the number, size or extent of something ลดลง
originally – the situation that existed at the beginning of a particular period or activity, especially before something was changed อย่างเป็นอันแรก, โดยแรกเริ่ม
float – to suggest a plan or an idea for consideration เสนอ
severity – seriousness ความรุนแรง
cap – an upper limit on an amount of money that can be spent or borrowed  ขีดสูงสุด, ครอบ
standard – average or normal rather than having special or unusual features ซึ่งเป็นมาตรฐาน
rate – an amount of money that is paid or charged อัตรา
disbursement– the process of paying out money การชำระเงิน
expedite – to make something happen quickly or easily เร่ง
monitor – to regularly check something or watch someone in order to find out what is happening  ตรวจสอบ ตรวจตรา
abuse – the use of something in a bad, dishonest, or harmful way การใช้ในทางที่ผิด
deputy – a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง
budget – an amount of money able to be spent on something งบประมาณ
tap –  to get or make use of something ใช้เป็นประโยชน์
eligible – allowed by rules or laws to do something or to receive something มีสิทธิ
obtain – to get something that you want or need, especially by going through a process that is difficult ได้มา, ได้รับ
dire – very serious or extreme เลวร้ายมาก
harvest – gather in ripe crops  เก็บเกี่ยว
prematurely – happening too soon or before the usual time ก่อนเวลาอันควร
paddy field – a field planted with rice growing in water นาข้าว
irrigation – the process of bringing water to land through a system of pipes, ditches, etc. in order to make crops grow ระบบชลประทาน
discharge – to let a liquid flow out ปล่อยออก, ขับออก

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