Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has said he will look into a water-management proposal focusing on efforts to prevent flooding in Bangkok and five surrounding provinces, said government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat.
Under the plan prepared by the National Water Command Centre (NWCC), agencies concerned will speed up the dredging of canals and cleaning of sewer pipes by July 15 to boost their drainage capacity, she said.
The NWCC will hold a meeting with officials from Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom to mete out flood control measures in flood-prone areas in these provinces.
According to Ms Narumon, the centre has listed seven locations in Samut Prakan, 11 in Samut Sakhon, 24 in Pathum Thani, 26 in Nonthaburi and 38 in Nakhon Pathom as flood-prone areas.
In another development, local communities in Roi Et and Yasothon provinces in the Northeast are demanding the government stop pushing a water-diversion project in the region, saying negative impacts caused by previous schemes have not been properly addressed.
The scheme aims to expand irrigation through the construction of a series of dams, canals, and pumping stations at a proposed cost of 21 billion baht.
In a statement released in response to a visit by a House committee studying water management on the Khong-Chi-Mun river system, the communities argued that the scheme would only benefit investors and harm the ecosystem.