JICA to finance flood protection at Thai industrial site

BANGKOK, November 24 (TNA) - The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide a financial support of about 500 million yen for the construction of a flood prevention system at a Thai industrial site so that it becomes a model for other industrial sites in the country. Thai Industry Minister Wannarat Channukul told reporters that JICA Vice President Izumi Arai made the offer when holding talks with him on Thursday; so, his ministry will then select a Thai industrial site for the Japanese grant. Wannarat said that rehabilitation will be accelerated at all flooded Thai industrial sites so that their production can resume as soon as possible, acknowledging that at Factory Land Company in Thailand's central Ayutthaya Province, 32 out of its 93 manufacturing plants have already been reopened; while some factories at the Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate should restart their production late this month. The minister assessed that production at the Rojana Industrial Park and the Ban Wa or Hi-Tech Industrial Estate, both in Ayutthaya, should resume late next month, noting that drainage of floodwater has also been accelerated at the Saha Rattana Nakorn Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya, as well as the Navanakorn Industrial Promotion Zone and the Bangkadi Industrial Park in Bangkok's suburban Pathum Thani Province. According to the Thai industry minister, total damage to all the flooded Thai industrial sites has been found to be smaller than earlier estimated, with a final figure to be announced after water drainage at the flooded sites is complete. (TNA)