The cabinet approved yesterday a project to dig a canal to divert flood water from downtown Nakhon Si Thammarat worth 9.5 billion baht. The project, which was royally initiated, was proposed by the Royal Irrigation Department.
The canal will take six years to dig, starting next year, said a spokesman for the government economic team Nattaporn Jatusripitak.
He said the canal would divert heavy water flow from a mountain range during torrential rains which submerge the provincial downtown every year.
The current waterways have a combined capacity to divert only 268 million cubic metres while the most recent rains brought up to 750 million cubic metres of water to the city, he said.
Meanwhile, the government is considering a voluntary relocation plan for people whose properties block the floodway and face chronic flooding, said government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
He said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has asked several ministries to survey villagers whose houses block the floodway and who are willing to move out. The government is considering allocating degraded forest land to those willing to relocate.
Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paojinda said authorities are bracing themselves for heavy rains and possible flash floods in the South from today until Sunday. He said the officials are on alert after the rain warning in the flood-ravaged region, adding that six southern provinces are still battling floods.
Meanwhile, a civic network is calling on the government to amend the law on mitigation and prevention of natural disasters to allow local bodies and communities a say in natural disaster risk management.
Maitree Jongkraijug, a volunteer who spearheads community-based disaster risk management, has submitted a petition demanding the changes to Borwornsak Uwanno, chairman of the law reform panel.
Mr Maitree said local communities should have a say in the management of disaster risks instead of waiting for assistance from the government when disasters strike.
When a disaster such as flooding strikes, the provincial governor will declare the flood-hit area a natural disaster area after which funds can be disbursed to buy necessities for distribution and rehabilitate the affected communities, he said.
Even though a special panel is set up to deal with the problem, it is temporary and most of the time it is not familiar with the situation and the risks faced by communities every year, he said.
Mr Maitree also said the law on migration and prevention of natural disasters, which came into affect three years after the 2004 tsunami, is also vulnerable to abuse and corruption because it allows authorities to use special methods in procurement projects. "This is always the way things are. The people and their community usually wait for help to arrive. The community can't intervene because the law doesn't allow that. The provincial governor alone has the authority," he said.
According to Mr Maitree, the proposed amendments seek several changes to allow local people who are directly at risk to take part in the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters. He said the changes are a must because the mechanisms under the current law are inadequate to cope with disasters effectively.
The national committee on prevention and mitigation of natural disasters should change to include local communities and non-government organisations with expertise in this area, he said.
In another change, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation would also be asked to help communities prepare for disasters.