Water expert Seree Supratid yesterday said that Bangkok will not experience the same type of flooding that has occurred in Sukhothai.
The Rangsit University lecturer assured the public that Bangkok will not meet the same fate as Sukhothai because it has more comprehensive and advanced flood handling facilities. He noted thought that flood prevention measures must still be set up to keep mega floods from happening again.
Seree criticized the government for not following flood prevention strategies laid out by members of the water resources committee. He noted that this hard-headedness has resulted to the massive floods in Sukhothai.
According to the Strategic Committee for Water Resources Management member, Sukhothai’s flooding was caused by the levee breaking. Had the government followed their recommendations to strengthen dams and dikes all over Thailand, the flooding would not have reached this proportion.
“We have recommended a short-term plan for the government, but they did not listen to us. They went ahead with their work without consulting us,” said Seree in a Bangkok Post report.
He added that his team had also warned of a possible dike collapse because the structures have been damaged by last year’s flooding – and it did happen at Sukhothai.
Assoc Prof Seree says the government and the concerned agencies should unify their efforts and concentrate on strengthening flood dykes and flood gates along the river. He also notes that the areas of Bangkok, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phuket and Phang Nga will remain prone to flooding because of the heavy rains expected to arrive in the next few weeks.
He also urges the Thai government to prepare for the possibility of drought hitting the country by next year.
