Office of National Water Resources urges agencies to ramp up drainage effort

The government needs to speed up its efforts to drain excess water from flood-hit areas in the North and Northeast, as more torrential rain is set to fall across upper Thailand in the next couple of days, according to the Office of National Water Resources yesterday.
ONWR deputy secretary-general Paiton Kengkarnchang said a new storm system is currently forming over the Philippines.
While the storm is unlikely to pass over Thailand, it will bring about increased rainfall to the lower North, upper Central Plains, the Northeast and East around Monday and Tuesday next week, he said.
As such, all agencies tasked with managing the country’s flood situation are urged to expedite their efforts to drain the excess water in affected areas through various channels which lead to the Gulf of Thailand, the ONWR deputy chief said.
According to the Meteorological Department’s forecast yesterday, a southwest monsoon is also currently blowing across the Andaman Sea, bringing heavy rain to the North, Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, the East, and the South.
The increased rainfall will raise the risk of flashfloods in low-lying areas, especially valleys, said the department.
In Chiang Mai, while floodwaters have receded in some areas, authorities expect the situation will only return to normal in about a fortnight, said Atthawit Nakwatchara, director of Chiang Mai’s 1st Royal Irrigation Office.
The Ping River wreaked havoc across downtown Chiang Mai when it overflowed on Wednesday, inundating swaths of Muang district, including the famous Night Bazaar.
Villagers living in Moo 6 and Moo 9 in the Mae Ai district experienced fresh flash floods in the early hours of yesterday morning. As the water had just begun to recede, many residents were ill-prepared for the floods to return.
The situation in neighbouring Lamphun was more severe yesterday, as floodwater from Chiang Mai began rushing through the province’s waterways from Wednesday night, flooding some parts of Ban Thi and Muang districts.
Meanwhile in Lampang, a reservoir in Ban Nong in Mae Tha district suddenly gave way at 11am yesterday, flooding several areas downstream, as well as parts of neighbouring Ko Kha district.
In Nakhon Phanom, six districts reported floods yesterday, affecting over 17,300 people across 224 villages.
Local authorities believe the flooding in the province has passed its peak, as the water level along the Mekong River had already receded significantly.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will travel to Chiang Rai today to inspect the post-flood recovery effort. She will spend the night in Mae Sai district, the hardest-hit area, and then travel on to Chiang Mai, according to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.