Thai government centralizes water management authority

BANGKOK, February 7 (TNA) - Thai Government Spokesperson Thitima announced Tuesday that a regulation of the Prime Minister’s Office has been approved for the establishment of a one-stop government organization to be in charge of water management, instead of six different organizations. Thitima told a press conference that the new organization is under the Prime Minister’s Office and consists of a committee on water and flood policies headed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra herself, a committee on water and flood management headed by a deputy prime minister or a minister and a bureau for water and flood policies and management. Meanwhile, Premier Yingluck said she will be visiting provincial areas from February 13-17 to follow up flood prevention and rehabilitation projects, and that during the forthcoming trip, she will also convince local villagers to cooperate with her government reservoir projects to solve repeated floods, promising that impacts of the projects on local people will be minimized. The Puea Thai premier revealed that some concerned ministers will accompany her during the five-day trip; while some other ministers will arrive in the targeted provinces in advance to prepare for her visit. (TNA)