BANGKOK, Sept 19 (TNA) – Prime Minister Gen Prayut
Chan-ocha left Bangkok to visit flood victims in the northeastern province of
Ubon Rachathani this afternoon.
Scheduled to arrive at 2 pm., he will be briefed on water
management and post- flood rehabilitation plans at the Suppasitthiprasong army
camp and will hand out relief supplies to flood victims at a temporary shelter
in Warin Chamrap district, hardest hit by severe flood.
He will then inspect the water level at the M7 water
monitoring station and travel by boat to distribute relief supplies to flood
victims along the Mun River.
Thongplew Kongjun, Director-General of the Royal Irrigation
Department (RID) said the water flow at the M7 station was 4,170 cubic metres
per second.
The water level is 3.24 metres higher than the river banks,
down 13 cm. from yesterday following installation of 195 propeller pumps in the
Mun River to accelerate water drainage to downstream areas.
Additional 65 pumps will be installed to increase water flow
from swollen Mun River into the Mekong River in Khong Chiam district.
When all 260 pumps operate, it will help decrease the water
level by 50-70 cm. daily on average, the director-general said.
The Mekong River has dropped currently, so officials have to
speed up diverting floodwater into the Mekong River before more rainfall,
anticipated to come tomorrow.
The Meteorological Department forecast rainfall in the North
and the Northeast on September 20-21.
When the Mun River drops to stay below its banks, officials
will operate 100 water pumps to drain floodwater from low-lying areas.
If there is no heavy rain, flood victims are likely to be
able to return home tomorrow and the situation should be return to normal by
the end of this month. (TNA)
