Thailand approves budget for drought, flooding prevention
The Thai Cabinet on August 27 approved a 15.8 billion baht budget to resolve drought and flooding issues in 76 provinces, government spokesperson Narumon Pinyosinwat announced.
A road is flooded after heavy rains in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7 (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) - The Thai Cabinet on August 27 approved a 15.8 billion baht budgetto resolve drought and flooding issues in 76 provinces, government spokespersonNarumon Pinyosinwat announced.
Seventy-four provinces will receive 200million baht each while harder-hit Surin and Buri Ram in the Northeast willeach get 500 million baht.
Following the approval of the fundingproposed by the Interior Ministry and Budget Bureau, the provinces are requestedto submit plans to manage droughts and flooding by September 30, ensuring theydraw no objections from the public and can be implemented promptly.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha andInterior Minister General Anupong Paochinda visited Surin and Buri Ram earlierthis month to inspect drought conditions and to discuss water-shortagesolutions with the governors of 20 provinces in the Northeast.
Earlier, the Office of the National Water Resources(ONWR) said it would ask for a 180 billion baht budget for projects to preventdroughts in the 2020 fiscal year.
ONWR Secretary-General Somkiat Prajamwong said theproposal has been submitted to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan during ameeting on measures to cope with droughts.-VNA
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A road is flooded after heavy rains in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7 (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
