A request has now been made for the national Irrigation Department to put up B300 million to line existing natural water courses with concrete in a bid to prevent sediment and trash build-up.
For fiscal 2013, B20 million has been budgeted to begin the project. Chalong OrBorTor chairman Samran Jindapol admitted on Friday (September 7) after inspecting the problem areas with other members of the council, “The causes of the flooding have never really been addressed.”
He said that the focus of action will be the klongs, the capacity of which has been reduced by silting up and by people dumping trash in them. Some have also been closed off by construction.
Samran said next year’s B20 million budget will be used for digging out the Bang Kata and Chaofa Rd klongs, the latter of which will emerge in front of Wat Lathiwanaram (Wat Tai) temple, beside the Land and House development, which has long been prone to flooding. Both klongs run to the sea.
Drainage ditches will be widened and new ones dug. “Officials are currently surveying the areas,” said Mr Samran.
“Another project involves building large water-gates near the sea to alleviate recurrent flooding on East Chaofa Rd in front of Wat Tai.” This project is budgeted at B15 million.
If the Irrigation Department approves the B300-million request, Samran says the flooding problem will be solved within the municipal boundaries “permanently” by lining the now picturesque klongs with concrete to guard against erosion and other impediments.
“Without trees or grass to impede its flow, water will flow freely; and when the water flows freely it will solve the problem of flooding,” he said.
“Once construction of the Klong Bang Kata reservoir is complete, Chalong’s flooding problem will be permanently solved.”
– Source: Manager Online