BANGKOK, 15 February 2012 – The prime minister has instructed the governors of 10 provinces, from upstream to downstream rivers, to finish the growing of water-retention forestland within 3 months.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Tuesday that the government is now encouraging locals in flood-prone areas to adopt the various royally-initiated projects, related to the management of upstream forests, the construction of check dams and the ecological preservation.
The PM’s comment was heard during her meeting with related ministers and 10 provincial governors in Phitsanulok Province.
The Premier said that she hopes the Thai people will become more connected to and realize the value of green forestland in the near future.
And in order to help speed up such works, PM Yingluck has assigned related agencies and ministries to take charge of all coherent projects, while instructing the 10 governors to complete the planting of fast-growing trees and the construction of check dams within 3 months.
The prime minister has pledged to allocate a budget to support all these projects.
Moreover, she has discussed with related ministers about the lowering of the minimum water detention at all dams from 60% to 45%, in order to help ease the impact from possible flooding in the future.
