Ayutthaya: The Industry Ministry has ordered an immediate review of anti-flood measures around 67 industrial estates nationwide, several of which remain seriously at risk of being inundated again some 11 years after the massive floods of 2011.
Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has instructed the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) to monitor the water situation and any impact it may have on industrial estates, according to Veeris Ammarapala, the IEAT governor.
The IEAT has instructed directors of various estates to put in place measures to handle floods. They involve inspecting the flood levees built around the industrial estates 11 years ago following the natural disaster when much of the North and the Central Plains as well as parts of Bangkok were swamped by months of floods. That left a trail of widespread destruction, including costly damage to many factories in Ayutthaya, home to a large concentration of industrial estates.
Mr Veeris said the levees were checked to see if they had been properly maintained and were sturdy.
Technicians also examined the maintenance records of water pumps and power generators as fuel reserves for the equipment have been topped up.
In case the pumps fall short of draining water, backhoes and other large machinery can be mobilised at short notice to dredge extra water diversion channels.
The IEAT has also directed the estates to stay updated using the water assessment reports released by state agencies. Among the data to look out for is the volume of water discharged by the Chao Phraya barrage in Chai Nat, through which most water from the North flows to the Central Plains provinces.
The estates were also paying attention to water levels at the Rama VI barrage in Tha Rua district of Ayutthaya.
The IEAT said it is assessing all risks at any estates. Those located in Ayutthaya, which are vulnerable to inundation, are the estates at Bang Pa-in, Ban Wa (Hi-Tech) and Nakhon Luang, as well as the Bangpu industrial estate in Samut Prakan.
