The Prime Minister ordered the addition of a frontline CPOC in every province with a risk situation to assess the situation hourly for people in the downstream areas. The CPOC issued a warning to 3 districts in Chiang Mai and 7 sub-districts in Mueang Lamphun District to prepare for the Ping River. It announced the evacuation of vulnerable groups in the risk areas. The public health department prepared a shelter and a mental health team.
Mr. Jirayu Huangsap, advisor to the Prime Minister and spokesman of the Flood, Storm and Landslide Relief Operation Center (FSOC) and the Forward Operation Center in Chiang Rai Province, revealed that the FSOC meeting has been monitoring the situation of the Ping River that has overflowed into the important economic zones of Chiang Mai Province. It has been reported that the water level at P.1, Nawarat Bridge, is continuously decreasing and is expected to return to the bank level of 3.70 meters today.
However, from monitoring the large amount of water from the Ping River t
hat moves through Chiang Mai city, it was found that it will cause an impact in the lower part of the Ping River. Currently, Mr. Nirat Phongsitthawon, the Governor of Chiang Mai Province, has issued an announcement asking people in the flood-risk areas in 3 districts: Saraphi District, Hang Dong District, and San Pa Tong District to move animals, belongings, and vehicles to higher ground and to evacuate bedridden patients and vulnerable groups to temporary flood shelters in Chiang Mai Province and safe places within 24 hours. If you need help, you can contact the Chiang Mai Provincial Incident Command Center via the hotline 1567 immediately.
For risk areas in Lamphun Province, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has sent a short message (SMS) warning level 3 in 7 sub-districts in Mueang Lamphun District, Lamphun Province, including Mueang Nga Sub-district, Umong Sub-district, Ton Thong Sub-district, Pratu Pa Sub-district, Rim Ping Sub-district, Nong Chang Khuen Sub-district, and Makhu
ea Chae Sub-district, to prepare for the situation, move belongings, and evacuate vulnerable groups.
‘From the assessment of the amount of water in Saraphi District, Chiang Mai Province, some areas such as Nong Phueng Subdistrict may experience flooding as high as 0.8-1.5 meters. Similarly, low-lying areas in Lamphun Province may experience water levels as high as 0.8-1.5 meters. As for Muang Lamphun District, the water level will be lower at 0.3-0.5 meters. Houses in low-lying areas and vulnerable groups are asked to follow the advice of officials for safety,’ said Mr. Jirayu.
In terms of providing assistance, 16 temporary shelters have been set up in Chiang Mai Province, which can accommodate 890 people. Currently, there are 203 real residents. For the care of vulnerable groups, the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office has prepared 3 hospitals: Suan Prung Hospital, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, and Prasat Chiang Mai Hospital, which currently have 41 patients. In addition, the MCATT team, consi
sting of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and multidisciplinary professionals, has been mobilized to provide mental health care to victims, most of whom have high levels of accumulated stress.
In terms of drainage, the Royal Irrigation Department has brought in machinery and water pumps to speed up the drainage of water and remove weeds that block the waterway to reduce the impact on the people and allow the water to flow into the Bhumibol Dam as soon as possible. Currently, the storage capacity of the Bhumibol Dam is only 9,321 million cubic meters, or 69% of the dam’s capacity.
Mr. Jirayu added that in the Chao Phraya River basin, water discharge is currently at 2,200 cubic meters per second and water management upstream of the dam is being carried out to maintain a constant and continuous volume of water discharge downstream of the Chao Phraya Dam to reduce impacts downstream. As for the news report of a broken embankment upstream of the Chao Phraya Dam, an inspection found that it was a
temporary embankment used to protect agricultural areas in Tambon Thamamun, Amphoe Mueang, Chai Nat Province, which is a low-lying area along the river. A temporary embankment was built to protect the area. The damage to the embankment did not cause any impacts to the wider community.
Mr. Jirayu also revealed that Chiang Rai Province has now launched an operation to restore Chiang Rai to its original condition by October 31st. Most recently, General Nattapol Nakphanit, Deputy Minister of Defense, as an advisor to the Forward Command Center, visited Ban Huai Sai Khao, Wiang Pa Pao District, Chiang Rai Province, to assess the work site before mobilizing assistance and military equipment to restore the disaster-stricken area.
Previously, the advisor of the Forward Command Center visited the area to follow up on the progress of the rehabilitation of Ban Pha Chom, Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province, which the Royal Thai Navy is responsible for. It was found that despite the mud that was an obstacle in restori
ng the area, overall, it was still moving forward according to plan. He praised the sacrifice and determination of the personnel who worked hard and emphasized the importance of working together between local agencies and the military to restore the community so that the people can quickly return to a better quality of life.
While the Air Force brought personnel from the Special Operations Department, Air Force Command, to arrive at Wing 41, Chiang Mai Province, they joined forces to wade through water to evacuate flood victims and distribute food and drinking water to victims in the Montfort College Community, Pa Daed Community, and Saraphi District, Chiang Mai Province urgently. They also helped move elderly patients out of the disaster area safely.
Source: Thai News Agency