Nakhon Sawan licks his wounds after dike breach
Downtown Nakhon Sawan has turned into a quagmire after the city experienced its worst flooding since 1995 on Monday.
The Ping River made a hole in the levee, after which an enormous amount of water flowed up the Pak Nam Pho market and beyond. Thousands of residents had to leave home and hearth and were directed to dry land.
The newspaper reported yesterday that provincial employees and soldiers tried in vain to close the gap, today the newspaper writes that municipal workers and soldiers with heavy equipment have erected two walls of earth to protect the main street.
So far, 619 villages in 10 districts with 240.000 inhabitants have been affected. The flood of water claimed 35 lives and damaged 661.935 rai of farmland. The water is on average 50 cm high and 1,7 meters in lower areas.
Due to the large amount of water coming from the North, the water will not drain quickly. In addition, the reservoirs Bhumibol, Sirikit and Khwae Noi discharge water. According to Surin Sapsakul, chief engineer of the Nakhon Sawan Irrigation Project, it will take at least 2 months for the province to dry up.
Wirat Tangpradit, president of the Lower Northern Provinces Chamber of Commerce, said most businesses in Nakhon Sawan suffered heavy damage, resulting in a daily loss of revenue of 50 million baht. As the flood continues, the economic damage could amount to 5 to 6 billion baht or 8 percent of the annual provincial GDP of 80 million baht.
Adisak Chanthavichanuwong, coordinator of a victim information center, says she has received complaints about boat owners who have inflated their prices. Transport to the hospital by boat already costs 50 baht; chartering a boat 200 baht.