Government agencies to discuss ways to prevent flooding

BANGKOK, July 15 (TNA) -- Senior officials of key government agencies will discuss next Tuesday on ways and measures to cushion impact of flooding which has already battered several Thai provinces presently, said Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) governor Pol Gen Aswin Kwanmuang. The plan to meet with governors of five Bangkok’s neighbouring provinces - Pathum Thai, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao plus the chiefs of the Meteorological, the Royal Irrigation and the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation departments comes after the weather department has forecast that heavy rains are expected to hit Thailand from yesterday to next Tuesday. Pol Gen Aswin said governors or senior officials of the five provinces are also expected to propose water management, flooding situation in their provinces and plans to solve the problem on a sustainable basis during the meeting. In Bangkok, the BMA has built a wall along the Chao Phraya River to prevent a flood resulting from excessive water running from the North and high tides, he said. Also, the City Hall has installed pumps in areas which are always hit by flood during the monsoon season, he added. (TNA)