This
prediction was made by consulting company Team Group, which presented its
findings at the "Knowing and Fighting against Flooding" seminar held
yesterday at Bangkok's Emerald Hotel.
Team
Group's managing director, Chawalit Chantararat, said a team of experts had
used a model based on last year's volume of water in order to make this
prediction.
He
said the team had discovered that many northern areas of Bangkok would be
submerged, including sites around Rapeepat Rangsit and Prayoonrasak canals.
In
addition, ancient capital Ayutthaya's Lat Bua Luang, Phak Hai, Bang Sai, Bang
Lane, Bang Pla Mha, Sena, Bang Ban and Maha Rat districts will be affected as
will Suphan Buri's Song Phi Nong district as well as Angthong's Pho Thong and
Pa Moke districts. The flooding in these areas will up to 60 to 80 centimetres
deep, much higher than the level last year, while Ayutthaya's main town of
Muang Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya will be under 3m of water.
Even
though the rainfall will be less or the same as last year, water experts found
that the level of flooding in some areas will be more than last year due to the
many floodprevention measures taken to block runoffs to Bangkok, Nonthaburi and
Pathum Thani. These floodprevention measures will divert floodwaters to other
areas.
He
added that areas in the west of Bangkok will be flooded this year such as the
area between Khlong 13 canal and Nakhon Nayok's Ongkharak district as well as
areas between Bangkok's Nong Chok district and Chachoengsao province's Bang Nam
Prieo district. Other districts in Chachoengsao province will also be submerged
as the government is planning to divert water to these areas.
Somchai
Baimuang, deputy director of the Thai Meteorological Department, said the
average rainfall since the start of this year was higher compared to the same
period last year. However, he said, it was too early to say if the amount of
rainfall this year will be higher than last year and that his agency would have
to monitor the situation for another three months.
He
added that he personally believes that flooding this year would be lower than
last year because most of last year's flooding had been caused by heavy
rainfall early in the rainy season. In addition, plenty of floodprevention
measures have been taken to block the water flow, he said.
Pramote
Maiklad, former irrigation chief and member of the Strategic Committee for
Water Resources Management (SCWRM), said he was not confident about the
government's floodprevention measures because very little progress has been
made to construct embankments and other structures to prevent flooding.
"Just
dredging canals across the upper and lower part of the North and Central
regions will not stop the flooding," he said. Instead, he said, the
government should construct floodways to divert floodwater to the sea instead
of finding retention areas.
News
Desk
The
Nation
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Strategy, Investment and Management, focusing Healthcare and Life Science with expertise in ASEAN. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programmes. Many thanks for visiting www.yourvietnamexpert.com and/or contacting us at contact@yourvietnamexpert.com
No comments:
Post a Comment