The cabinet has given the green light to 246 flood prevention projects worth almost 25 billion baht.
They are the first proposals to get the go-ahead under the government’s 350 billion baht water management plan.
Most of the approved projects will be overseen by the Transport Ministry and include plans to elevate existing roads, build dykes and extend bridges within the next six months.
Plodprasop Suraswadi, chairman of the committee for water and flood management, said dykes will be built on either side of the Rapeepat canal.
The government will also construct more dykes up to Khlong Rangsit in the north of Bangkok to protect Don Muang and the capital’s low-lying areas.
Some 50 sluice gates will be improved while canals will be dredged and overall drainage increased in major waterways.
Mr Plodprasop, who is also the science minister, said there are eight urgent projects on the western side of the Chao Phraya River. These include the building of dykes along Khlong Prayabanlue, Khlong Maha Sawat, Khlong Phra Pimol and the Ta Chin River.
The committee also approved three medium-term projects worth 16.5 billion baht which are expected to be completed in a year. These include extending the Boromratchonnanee elevated road from Salaya to Nakhon Pathom at a budget of 12.5 billion baht, and building “street canals” by elevating Phutthamonthon sois 4 and 5 and constructing canals alongside them for 4 billion baht.
In the long term, Mr Plodprasop said a major dredging of the Chao Phraya should be carried out as this has not been done in 20 years. The government earmarked 3 billion baht for the project.
Mr Plodprasop added that his committee will later propose a single command authority for water management policy chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/283201/projects-worth-b25bn-get-nod