NESDB warns people to watch out for floodwater in the central region from 13-24 Oct. Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces rush to help people after water from the north flows into the area. Volunteers transport royal animal feed to care for weak elephants.
Mr. Jirayu Huangtrakul, advisor to the Prime Minister and spokesman for the Flood, Storm and Landslide Relief Operation Center (FSOC) and the Forward FSOC in Chiang Rai Province, revealed that the amount of water flowing through Station C2 in Mueang District, Nakhon Sawan, has been continuously decreasing, causing the Chao Phraya Dam to continue releasing water downstream at 2,200 cubic meters per second, which will help reduce the impact on downstream areas, especially during October 13-24. We must still watch out for high tides, which may cause the water level in the river to rise. ‘The areas at risk of flooding are still low-lying areas along the Chao Phraya River, Tha Chin River and Mae Klong River, communities outside the embankments and temporary embank
ments in areas where there are no permanent water barriers (gaps). People in risk areas in Samut Prakan, Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom and Samut Songkhram should closely monitor and follow news and information from government agencies,’ said Mr. Jirayu.
Mr. Jirayu continued that the flood situation in Chiang Mai Province has begun to improve. The water mass flowing to Saraphi District tends to rise slightly and remain stable. Some areas of Lamphun Province are expected to rise by about 0.6 – 0.8 meters, with a maximum of 1.2 meters. From the report, it is known that relevant agencies have issued warnings, moved belongings, and evacuated vulnerable groups urgently. At the same time, officials from the Royal Irrigation Department in Chiang Mai and Lamphun Provinces will go to the area to measure the water depth at each point every day to assess the situation and determine a plan to pump water out of the area as soon as possible. As for Lamphun Province, a command center has bee
n set up in Lamphun Province and volunteers who will travel to the area are asked to contact the incident command center at Mueang Lamphun District Office, number 053 511026, to provide timely assistance to those affected and avoid duplication.
In Chiang Mai Province, today (October 7, 2024), Gen. Nattapol Nakphanit, Deputy Minister of Defence and advisor to the Forward Command Center in Chiang Rai Province, visited the incident command center to provide moral support to the officers and listen to a situation summary. The officers were welcomed by Mr. Nirat Phongsitthaworn, Chiang Mai Governor, and Maj. Gen. Thira Phungsunthon, Commander of the 33rd Army Circle. The Deputy Minister of Defence praised the Chiang Mai model and the cooperation of all sectors in agreeing with the establishment of a ‘Joint Command Center’ and asked for lessons learned to integrate and solve problems together systematically. The Deputy Minister of Defence then traveled to Nong Faek Village, Nong Faek Subdistrict, Saraphi District,
Chiang Mai Province to distribute relief bags to the people and mobilize military personnel to help the people as soon as possible.
Mr. Jirayu said that for people who want to use the northern train line after the flooding in Chiang Mai province has begun to subside, the State Railway of Thailand has adjusted the passenger pick-up and drop-off points from the original car service from Nakhon Lampang Station – Chiang Mai – Nakhon Lampang to 2 passenger pick-up and drop-off points at Chiang Mai Railway Station and Lamphun Railway Station from today (October 7, 2024) onwards. For more information, call 08 5033 6733 and 06 1656 8758 or call 1690 or the Facebook fan page of the State Railway of Thailand PR team 24 hours a day.
In the case of many elephants affected by floods in Chiang Mai, Mr. Jirayu said that today (October 7, 2014), the Royal Volunteer Forces of the 7th Battalion, together with the Department of Livestock Development, local government agencies, and volunteer citizens received a total of 37,000
kilograms of royal animal feed to help elephants and animals affected by flash floods that flooded the Elephant Nature Park in Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai Province.
The National Elephant Institute said that elephants have started to return to their camps, but some are experiencing health problems, such as weakness due to dehydration and lack of fresh grass. They are rushing to help by harvesting grass, collecting fresh food and transporting it to the area, and sending a team of veterinarians to check the health of the elephants and deworm them until all 400 elephants have been treated.
Source: Thai News Agency