CHIANG MAI
Political crisis 'crippled flood-prevention work'
A soldier helps build a flood barrier with sandbags in an urban area of Chiang Mai’s Muang district.
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Paralysed by events in Bangkok, officials bicker while waters rise, critics complain
The political crisis has hampered comprehensive flood-prevention schemes and left Chiang Mai even more vulnerable to flooding, it is claimed. "In the face of an unstable political situation, big projects are suspended," Mae Ping and Environment Conservation Committee chairman Dr Wasant Chomphakdee said yesterday. He was commenting on criticism that the government's vow to spend more than Bt200 billion on a comprehensive flood-prevention system had shown no progress. Earlier this week, flash-floods hit Chiang Mai, reminding the country of the torrents that ravaged the northern province late last year. Wasant complained that relevant government authorities had yet to coordinate efforts to prevent flooding. For example, he said, while the Royal Irrigation Department recommended the construction of a concrete dyke as an ultimate solution, the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning proposed an embankment along Mae Ping River. According to Wasant, the Chiang Mai Night Safari, housing estates and roads recently built around Doi Suthep Mountain were contributing to the flood problem. "These new constructions have changed the city landscape and flooding is likely to exacerbate," he said. He added that Chiang Mai town planning clearly had no water-retention areas. Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday blamed the shallower Mae Ping River and encroachment on its banks for the flooding in Chiang Mai. "Some people have encroached on the riverbanks for decades," he said. Thaksin said he had assigned PM's Office Minister Newin Chidchob to use aerial pictures taken in the past and compare them with present pictures in order to detect encroachment and to take action. "We will tackle structures that block water flow," he said. He said some government agencies would be relocated to clear the way for water to flow. Government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said, following Thaksin's instructions last year, government agencies had already identified roads and structures that blocked the water flow. "We will remove those blockades," he said. Siripong Pornwilai, a Chiang Mai resident, said he could not wait for government help any longer because nothing useful came along. "I have to fend for myself. Now my house has a one-metre concrete embankment and I have sandbags ready," he said.
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