Thailand plans to hold talks with Myanmar about the dismantling of buildings encroaching into the Sai River from both banks, to widen the water channel.
According to Thailand’s Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, removing the obstructions will assist in coping with future flooding, like that in September which wrought havoc on people’s lives on both sides of the border.
Phumtham chaired a meeting of the Defence Council yesterday, to discuss the involvement of the military in the rehabilitation of the flood-devastated Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai and measures to cope with future flooding.
He said that the recent flooding was unprecedented, in terms of the destruction caused, as he pointed to the tremendous amount of mud from mines in Myanmar which was washed into Mae Sai by strong currents in the Sai River, along with many felled trees.
With the help of the military, efforts are under way to dispose of the mud, which is still covering many roads and countless houses and shops in downtown Mae Sai.
Phumtham said that, during the meeting, satellite images of the Sai River were displayed, showing that some parts of the river are now only 20 metres wide, due to human encroachment, adding that, if these illegal structures are not dismantled, it will not be possible to widen the river channel to facilitate water flow.
He said that the encroachment will be addressed at the meeting of the flood relief operations centre on Tuesday, before being discussed with the government of Myanmar.
The defence minister said that, if the recent devastating flooding is repeated, Mae Sai may become submerged, adding that relocating the town would be the last option.
Phumtham also admitted that the 9 billion baht emergency budget, allocated to help flood victims, is insufficient to compensate for the losses suffered in the flooding.
