Less than 10% of rivers and canals in flood-risk areas have been dredged. The Water Resources Department is confident that they will finish all the projects before the rainy season begins, according to Bangkok Post.
Only 155 out of 1,587 dredging projects in rivers and canals in the northern, northeastern and central regions have been completed.
Jatuporn Buruspat, director-general of the department , said: “ I am sure we can finish the work before our deadline, when the rainy season starts “.
13 out of 135 projects in the North, 120 of 430 projects in the Northeast and 22 of 96 projects in the central area were completed since the beginning of the first phase of the plan which commenced on October 1. None of the planned 871 projects in the second phase were completed.
Last year’s floods delayed delayed canal and river rehabilitation projects. The works are expected to speed up next month as concessions have now been awarded for all projects.
Hanarong Yaowaloes, chairman of the Thai Water Partnership , being concerned that the project budget might not be well spent, said: “ As far as I know, 287 [dredging] projects are involved, costing more than 10 million baht each. And over 1,000 projects are small ones. I don’t see how these projects can be linked to the flood prevention plan. But even worse is that the ecological system has been seriously disturbed by the dredging activity .”
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Dredging Today Staff, April 2, 2012;