Officials splash B113mn on Phuket flood-prevention works

The news was announced at a meeting of the Phuket Phuket Water Resources Sub-Committee at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Dec 16), chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pinsuwan.

The money will be spent on seven projects, all to be carried out by the Phuket Provincial Office of the Public Works and Town & Country Planning, said an official report of the meeting.

The projects include construction of a retaining wall along each side of the Bang Yai Canal to prevent flooding in the Phuket Old Town area. The two retaining walls were tabled as two separate projects with a budget of B25mn each.

A flood-prevention system for communities along the Tha Kraeng Canal, on the south side of Phuket Town, was tabled with a budget of B12mn, and construction of a dam to prevent flooding along Klong Chang Phan Lang in koh Kaew was tabled with a budget of B18mn.

Construction of a dam to prevent flooding along the canal beside the Phuket Fishing Port was tabled with a budget of B11mn, and construction of a drainage system along Klong Thalang in Ratsada was tabled with a budget of B22mn.

The funds are being made available under a national push to address major flooding in the country, with a total of B262.34mn to be spent on flood-prevention measures throughout the ‘Andaman Provinces Group’, said the report.

The remaining B149.34mn is to be spent on projects to “increase the efficiency of flood protection in the major tourist attractions of Andaman Provinces Group [area],” the report noted.

Other issues discussed at the meeting yesterday included the “efficiency project” at Bang Neaw Dum Reservoir in Srisoonthorn , the pump station at Baan Khoktanode near Bang Neaw Dum; and a wastewater treatment to produce tap water.

No further details were provided about the three projects.