Thai PM chairs water management meeting

BANGKOK, July 5 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra chaired a meeting of the government-appointed National Water Resources and Flood Policy Committee (NWRFPC) at Bangkok's Government House Thursday to discuss and follow up water management and flood prevention plans, as well as disaster warning systems. At the meeting, attended by Thai Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, in his capacity as the NWRFPC chair, and other authorities concerned, Yingluck ordered the Hydrographic and the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Departments to compile updated information and oversee their disaster warning systems to ensure their timely and accurate alerts to people in affected areas. The NWRFPC chair then told journalists that he believed Bangkok would not be hit by a repeated massive flooding this year and it was only one per cent likely that all Thai regions would be flooded in 2012, acknowledging, however, that repeated floods could take place in river basins and other low-lying areas in the country. Meanwhile, disaster prevention and mitigation officials of four northern Thai provinces, including Chiang Rai, Phrae, Nan and Phayao, and other local concerned parties held a meeting in Chiang Rai to discuss measures to cope with any natural disaster in their areas, in response to a latest warning by the Meteorological Department that the four northern Thai provinces would be, probably, hit by flash floods and mudslides in the coming days. The prepared measures include measuring the amount of rainfalls, ensuring proper and accurate functions of local disaster warning systems and providing evacuation guidances for local people in case of any emergency. (TNA)