Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered officials to dispose of flood-related mud and garbage in Chiang Rai province quickly, as cleaning equipment and other relief supplies are being flown into the province.
The Mueang and Mae Sai districts, which were hit by devastating flooding about two weeks ago, are currently facing mud and dust problems. About 58,000 tonnes of garbage, including mud, remain in the two districts, waiting to be collected and disposed of before situation can return to normal.
One major challenge facing the officials is the lack of space for temporary storage of the garbage, before properly disposal in landfills or incinerators. A landlord in Mae Sai district, has even agreed to allow 4.2 hectares of his land to be used for the temporary dumping of garbage and mud collected from Mueang and Mae Sai districts, free of charge.
The prime minister also instructed officials to flush out mud which is clogging drains in Chiang Rai, before it hardens, adding that the officials will not be withdrawn until the job is completed.
It is reported that His Majesty the King has donated 100 high-pressure water pumps to get rid of mud from roads and houses, left behind by the floods.
The prime minister said that officials in charge the flood relief operation centre will meet every day to assess the relief operations, adding that she will personally join the meeting next Sunday.
The government, she added, is expediting the disbursement of compensation for flood victims, with the first payments to be made within November.
She assured that economic stimulus measures will be launched after the flood-related problems have been resolved, adding however that, for the time being, it is necessary for the Commerce Ministry to ensure that prices of goods are not increased to the extent which will negatively affect consumers.
Meanwhile, well-known businessman Tan Passakornnatee announced in his Facebook post today the rental of 30 backhoes with operators, 90 low-loader trucks and 10 ten-wheel trucks for a period of 30 days to help in the clean-up operations.
Any transport operators who are interested in renting out their vehicles for this operation can contact his secretary at 062-762-6663.
