Authorities are expediting dozens of projects involving wastewater management and reservoir rehabilitation to improve water storage capacity and limit costs associated with flood and drought disasters.
According to Surasee Kittimonthon, secretary-general of the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR), the office’s 2018-2037 water management master plan should increase the nation’s water storage capacity by nearly 1.8 billion cubic meters while expanding irrigation zones by over 1 million rai.
The aim is to reduce flood levels while benefiting more than 1 million families through the establishment of area-based management.
Reservoir rehabilitation has meanwhile been taking place in the provinces of Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Phitsanulok and Sakon Nakhon, with a flood mitigation plan being implemented in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Projects are also underway to increase water storage capacity in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said heavy rain from 03 April 2022 caused damages and flooding in the provinces of Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Phatthalung and Surat Thani.
A total of 21,669 households have been affected (estimated 108,345 people). By far the worst affected province was Nakhon Si Thammarat, where 20,376 households from 369 villages in 12 districts were affected. The City of Nakhon Si Thammarat recorded 183.8 mm of rain in 24 hours to 04 April and 117.1 mm the following day.
There have been no reports of injuries, fatalities or displacements, however and flooding has started to subside in some areas, aided by the deployment of water pumps. Aid and relief supplies have been distributed in some of the affected areas.
