CPOC appoints “Plodprasob” as advisor to the center, “Chirayu”, spokesman, explains daily situation, orders Meteorological Department to study Climate Change to prevent future incidents – Royal Irrigation Department looks at European dams, deflects mud path, urges to speed up resolution of mud stuck in pipes before turning into limestone
At 10:00 a.m. on September 25 at Government House, Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, chaired the 2nd meeting of the Operations Center for Flood, Storm and Landslide Relief (OCSC), which was attended by Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Mr. Prasert Chantarawongthong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society, and relevant agencies.
The meeting will consider the operational plan for assistance and rehabilitation to solve the mudslide problem in Mueang Chiang Rai District and Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province.
Mr. Phumtham said before the meeting that we must closely ass
ess the situation because the situation that occurred was different from every other time in the past because it was rain and mud that caused problems after the water receded. The situation must be resolved quickly because the mud left in the pipes can turn into limestone. The mud that remains is as high as 1-2 meters, making it difficult to restore the area.
Mr. Phumtham continued that a team of expert advisors has been established, with Mr. Plodprasob Suraswadi as an advisor to the working group and Mr. Jirayu Huangsap, advisor to the Prime Minister, as the center’s spokesperson, to continuously provide daily clarifications. From observations, the amount of rain that occurred was not more than in the past, but rather was repeated in specific areas, which is likely due to climate change. Therefore, the Meteorological Department has been assigned to conduct a thorough study, which is considered a primary mission to provide clarification and warnings in order to prevent future incidents.
As for the flood sit
uation in Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province, it is a mixture of two types of rain and mud. The situation here is different from other places because it is a mixture of water and mud. Therefore, it is more dangerous than normal flooding, which is similar to a volcano erupting with lava mixed with water flowing down. It is believed that this could happen again. Therefore, we would like to ask the Department of Mineral Resources to study this matter clearly.
Mr. Phumtham continued that the large amount of muddy water remaining is difficult to eliminate and rescue, which is considered a new issue that Thailand has encountered. Therefore, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) must work with many agencies to handle this issue. The military must also come in and study from the beginning how to solve the problem in the future, including providing appropriate equipment to the disaster area.
Mr. Phumtham added that he believes that a dam can be built to divert the mud path, similar to the co
nstruction in the Alps in Europe, where an avalanche can be dealt with immediately. This is an engineering matter that the Royal Irrigation Department should study first. If Mr. Plodprasob has any advice, he can suggest it in the meeting.
Mr. Phumtham emphasized that the current situation is in Mueang and Mae Sai districts, Chiang Rai province. The current problem is that large vehicles can only drive on the main road. They cannot enter the alleys and cannot provide rescue services. From statistics, 1 house requires 30 personnel in 1 day, which means that a large number of people are affected. We must use a plan to mobilize personnel and necessary equipment into the area. We admit that there is a great shortage of equipment because we have never encountered this problem before.
Mr. Phumtham said that on Friday, September 27, Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the Prime Minister and all relevant Deputy Prime Ministers will travel to Mueang District, Chiang Rai Province, where the Kok River has overflowed, causing
mud to settle in houses and economic areas. They will go to solve the problem there. The trip will last two days, with a one-night stay in Mae Sai District. In the morning, they will travel to Chiang Mai Province, where the Prime Minister will monitor the flood situation. After that, the ministers will split up to travel to various locations to solve the problem. When the Prime Minister arrives, there will be a war room meeting, so there will be a summary of the current situation in Chiang Rai, what has been done, and what problems need to be solved. The Prime Minister will listen to the details in order to give orders and solve the problem in a timely manner. Our duty is to prepare everything so that the Prime Minister is aware of the situation and determine the responsibilities.
Mr. Phumtham said that the CPOC working group will meet every day at 9:00 a.m. to assess the situation and receive reports from all areas to see how to resolve it. There will be 2 working groups that will work on solving immediate
problems and resolving various incidents as quickly as possible.
As for the problem of compensation, there are regulations and it is being done under normal circumstances, which will be an obstacle because what the people are facing now, they want to know how the government will take care of them. In the past, compensation has had problems with delays, so the Prime Minister has ordered us to take care of how to make this process legal but expedited as quickly as possible so that the money reaches the people and assures them that the government has not abandoned them. For this type of special flooding, appropriate expenses must be set.
Source: Thai News Agency