BANGKOK, 15 September 2013 The Strategic Committee on Water and Flood Management will request 180 million baht from the Cabinet to arrange public hearings in provinces to be affected by the government’s 350-billion-baht water management projects.
Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, the committee chairman, said the public hearings would take 3-4 months, starting in Lamphun and Lop Buri provinces this 7 October. Around 50,000 local people were expected to join in the public hearings, the deputy PM said. The budget of 180 million baht will be spent on public relations, forum arrangement and academic work.
The public hearings are scheduled to conclude early December this year before the government starts hiring contractors to implement the projects which have already passed environmental impact assessments. These projects include establishing a data center for use in the forecasting and warning system, as well as the construction of diversion canals in the eastern part of the country, dams, reservoirs and floodgates.
