Thailand to spend Bt350b on water management

BANGKOK, December 24 (TNA) - Former Thai deputy prime minister and finance minister Virabongsa Ramangkura, who is now Chairman of the government's Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development (SCRF) said on Saturday that SCRF will seek a Cabinet approval of an initial budget of some 350 billion baht to be spent on national water management restructuring and on constructing standard water barriers. Virabongsa acknowledged that SCRF will raise the proposed budget before the Cabinet's next weekly meeting so that the Office of Council of State can consider the budget, and that Thailand's major drills on flood battling will also be held every August. The SCRF is one of two committees set up by the Thai government to find ways in solving flood problems in the country. Pitipong Puengboon Na Ayudhaya, head of a subcommittee in charge of planning on the national committee on water resource management, meanwhile, insisted that parts of the country's entire water management system will start before the rainy season in 2012, noting that the public will be allowed to participate in the scheme and people living in areas reserved for floodways will be given government assistance, with a budget of some 13 billion baht to be initially spent. (TNA)