'Kabin Buri residents victim of poor water management'
Residents of Kabin Buri (Prachin Buri) district are victims of poor water management, says Seree Supratid of Rangsit University's College of Engineering. There is less rain this year than last year, but the flooding is the worst in the past 25 years.
There is 4 meters of water in the district since Wednesday and 1 meter at the edges. That water comes from the province of Sa Keao. According to Seree and also according to angry residents, the authorities should have opened dams to drain the water to fields, but they did not dare to do so for fear of conflicts with farmers and other residents.
The duped residents of Kabin Buri yesterday blocked a road in the town of Kabin Buri in protest. They threaten to dig a road along an irrigation canal in Tambom Wandan so that the water can flow away.
Other flood news point by point:
- In Si Maha Phot district (Prachin Buri), the water rose another 20 cm and began to flood Ban Khok Mai Dang, which has never been flooded before [Not sure if 'never' is correct]
- In Ubon Ratchatani, 16 districts have been declared disaster areas. After days of heavy rain, 2.000 houses and 20.000 rai of farmland in 62 tambons have been flooded.
- Five districts have been declared disaster areas in Phitsanulok province. There, 1.249 houses and 4.721 rai of farmland are under water.
- In Chaiyaphum province, the river Chi overflowed its banks yesterday; three flood defenses were damaged and 300 houses in tambon Thung Thong were flooded. The water is 1,8 meters high. The water spread further to Chatturat district, where eight tambons were flooded.
- While fishing, a 64-year-old resident of tambon Lahan was dragged into the water on Wednesday evening. He presumably drowned.
- The water level in several waterways in Muang (Nakhon Ratchasima) is rising. One channel overflowed, flooding Ban Na Tom in tambon Nong Krathum.
- In Ayutthaya province, the Chao Praya River rose 10 cm, causing the water in Bang Ban district to rise as well.
- The director general of the Irrigation Department says flooding in some northeastern provinces including Prachin Buri will ease within a week.
(Source: Bangkok Post, Sept. 27, 2013)