Thai government works with BMA in flood prevention

BANGKOK, July 10 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says that her government is willing to work closely with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in water management and flood prevention in metropolitan areas. Yingluck told reporters, after chairing a meeting of some 50 permanent secretary-level officials at the BMA headquarters on Monday, that she was informed of the BMA's preparations to deal with this year's monsoon season with revised measures, in the wake of the country's flooding crisis late last year. Yingluck revealed that she also instructed the BMA to expedite and coordinate the dredging of rivers and canals with relevant agencies, as well as to regularly inspect progress of the task and to work with each district office in an integral manner to deal with the monsoon season this year, as BMA officials promised to complete all the works within September. The prime minister acknowledged that her government has approved a state budget to support the BMA's urgent flood prevention plans and will consider more budgets, sought by the BMA through the Ministry of Finance, to sponsor the City Authority's long-term water management plans. (TNA)