Four organizations confirm that water situations are controllable

BANGKOK, Aug 10 (TNA) – Four organizations handling water situations have confirmed that they are well prepared to cope with rainwater, flooding is under control and the severe flooding in 2011 will not recur. Somkiat Prajamwong, director-general of the Office of the National Water Resources, Thongplew Kongjun, director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department, Chayapol Thitisak, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and Wanchai Sakudomchai, director-general of the Meteorological Department, told a press conference that their organizations were cooperating well and already developed a good plan to cope with flooding. Their cooperation started before the rainy season. Their officials are sharing weather information and updates on rain and water situations, planning responses for possible situations and have issued warnings to people in disaster-prone areas. The directors-general said that eight main dams were under close watch and water exceeded the capacities of Kaeng Krachan and Nam Un dams, forming 103% of their total capacities. Discharges from the dams were accelerated and provincial governors will offer assistance to affected people. The chiefs of the four organizations also said that the levels of Phetchaburi and Mekong rivers were subsiding but officials were concerned about forecasted rain that might raise the levels of water in rivers and reservoirs next week. The water level in the reservoir of the Kaeng Krachan dam would become stable unless it rained, they said. (TNA)