Thai PM satisfied with faster flood responses this year

KRABI, September 15 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says she has seen improved flood prevention and water management plans during her ongoing trip to flood-prone areas. Speaking during her live week talk program in Krabi Province in the Thai South Saturday morning, Yingluck said that she inspected floods in Sukhothai and Pitsanulok Provinces earlier this week, acknowledging that flood prevention systems were seen functioning well, but some areas might be flooded for a short period when it rained heavily. Yingluck insisted that responses to floods in Thailand this year are faster than last year, noting that concerned authorities have remained on standby to cope with possible floods with more systematic plans. According to the Thai premier, floodwater in Sukhothai earlier this week exceeded the capacity of provincial authorities, but Interior Ministry officials came to their rescue at once, with big sandbags and gabions deployed to reinforce levees; so the floods disappeared in three days and the province is now under a rehabilitation process. Meanwhile, San-ya Chi-ni-mitr, Director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)'s Department of Drainage and Sewerage, spoke about widespread and heavy downpours in the capital Friday evening, measured 95 millimeters in Din Daeng District and 144 millimeters in Thon Buri area, causing temporary flooding in several locations in the city. Sanya revealed that BMA workers are ready to operate sluice gates to prevent floods in the capital, reporting that water levels in the Saen Saep Canal, for instance, is now about 70 centimeters under the mean sea level in the Lat Phrao Canal is some 20 centimeters under the mean sea level, and that workers are operating water pumps at 158 locations around the clock to quickly drain out water to the sea. (TNA)