Thai PM inspects flooded areas

AYUTTHAYA, THAILAND, October 5 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha is visiting the central Ayutthaya and Chai Nat Provinces to inspect the water situation and to present necessaries to flood-affected locals. The prime minister first arrived in Ayutthaya on Wednesday and was then briefed by the provincial governor on the local water situation. The prime minister later met local people and handed bags of necessities to more than 500 flood victims. The Thai premier later traveled to adjacent Chai Nat Province for the same mission. Earlier, the prime minister told journalists that he has ordered the Royal Irrigation Department and governors of flood-affected provinces to explain to locals for their proper understanding that the current flooding in some areas was caused by heavy rainfalls recently, resulting in inundations in low-lying areas of more than 240,000 acres outside irrigation and flood prevention zones, affecting households and farmlands in the areas. The premier said his government is handling the situation by controlling water levels at main dams not to exceed 2,500 million cubic metres and to hold water at the dams as long as possible. The prime minister noted that some rice fields must be used as natural water retention areas where local farmers and households will be compensated at a rate of 1,000 baht per 0.4 acre plot of land by his government, through the Ministry of Interior. Meanwhile, Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) Deputy Governor Krittiyaporn Dabbhadatta expressed her confidence while inspecting industrial estates in Ayutthaya that flood prevention measures which have been well-prepared, including flood dikes and the installation of sandbags and water pumps, would protect local industrial estates from flooding this year. Besides, water released from three upstream dams is currently at about 2,700 cubic meters per second, much lower than 5,800-6,000 cubic meter per second in late 2011, when industrial estates in Ayutthaya were damaged by a massive inundation, and IEAT is monitoring the situation to ensure that water released from the dams not to exceed 3,500 cubic meters per second. The IEAT deputy chief acknowledged, however, that a flood mitigation drill was conducted with Ayutthaya's disaster prevention and mitigation office last month. (TNA)